Your Heart in My Hand
by longblacksocks
Summary: Haruno Sakura is the granddaughter of a yakuza boss. When she moves in with her grandfather, Uchiha Sasuke is assigned as her bodyguard. What happens when she finds herself falling for him? AU. OOC. Future Lemons.
1. Chapter 1: First Sight

**Your Heart in My Hand**

* * *

 **A/N:** Hey everyone. Thank you for your kind attention. So, this is actually my first fic so please be gentle with me. This was inspired by the manga 'Wild Ones' by Fujiwara Kiyo.

A little warning: This fic is an AU so characters will definitely be OOC.

Also, yes the title is taken from 'Over and Over Again' by Nathan Sykes.

Without further ado, enjoy the first chapter of **Your Heart in My Hand**.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: First Sight**

* * *

He had come when she was kneeling by her mother's grave.

"I've finally found you," he said softly.

She looked up and found herself looking at a man wearing a simple yukata. His long black hair was tied up in a loose ponytail and he looked to be about 60 years old. He was looking at her with a gentle expression; one she had seen on her mother's face many times.

"I'm sorry but who are you?" Sakura asked.

The man chuckled.

"I am your grandfather, Senju Hashirama."

Sakura shook her head. No, she didn't have any relatives. Her mother had told her that.

Hashirama frowned. He had lost his daughter and he wasn't going to lose his only granddaughter.

"Trust me, Sakura," he said as he held out his hand.

Sakura didn't know why but she took it. Maybe she was lonely. Maybe she wanted to believe she had another relative. Maybe it was that exact look he had that reminded her so much of her mother.

* * *

Sakura stared out the car the entire trip. Hashirama had been quiet and she was dying for answers. Was he really her grandfather? Why hadn't her mother mentioned him?

Sakura turned to look at the man. She decided she had to know now.

"Erm, Hashirama-san. Can I ask you a few questions please?"

The man turned, a little surprised that Sakura had spoken to him by herself.

"Of course. And please, call me ji-chan," Hashirama said with a smile.

"Ah, yes. Ji-chan," Hashirama nodded and Sakura continued. "Why haven't I met you before?"

Hashirama knew this question was coming. He knew Tsunade would never want her own daughter to know that her grandfather was the head of a yakuza gang. Sure, he had done some really crazy things when he was younger but times have changed now. His leadership had evolved from a dictator to one of a father figure. He was never cruel to his men unnecessarily. He knew all of them saw the gang as family. All of them were brothers.

On the day he last saw her, he had just come home from a rather vicious fight with a rival gang. She had packed her bags and was waiting for him to come home so that she could leave properly. Hashirama had thrown a fit. He forbade her to leave. If she did, he would never allow her back again. Tsunade had said nothing. When he woke up the next day, she was gone.

It broke his heart. She had been his only daughter. He never stopped keeping tabs on her and when he found out she had died, leaving her only child, Sakura, he knew he had to take the child in.

Sakura took in the story slowly. She believed him. She had heard the pain in his voice when he had recounted the events that had led to his only daughter leaving. When he had mentioned yakuza, her eyes had widened. He saw her surprise and reassured her that no one would harm her. He would never allow it.

Hashirama had told her that he had already prepared a room for her. She thanked him profusely and he waved it off. "Anything for my granddaughter," he had mumbled.

When they reached the estate, Sakura gasped. The garden was filled with her namesake and the house looked like it had come out of olden Japan. It was beautiful. It was home.

When they both stepped into the house, a loud 'Welcome home Sakura-sama" greeted her.

20 men were kneeling before her with their heads bowed. Sakura went red with embarrassment.

"Eh? Ji-chan?!"

Hashirama laughed. He petted his granddaughter's head and addressed the men before him.

"Listen here, you lot. My precious granddaughter has finally come home and I want her to be as comfortable as possible. Touch a single hair on her body and I'll personally deal with you. While she is here, you will protect her with your life. Her room is strictly off limits and I expect no one to bother her."

"Yes, Hashirama-sama!"

Satisfied with the answer, Hashirama turned to Sakura.

"Sakura. I hope you understand this. Your ji-chan might not be the bad person he was in the past but I want you to be protected every single time you are outside. Now this is only all just precautionary and I have selected the perfect candidate for this task."

Sakura nodded. She had been expecting this. She didn't want to spoil the moment so she had said nothing.

Hashirama smiled at Sakura and turned back to his men, face stern.

"Uchiha, stand up."

Sakura looked over at the single male who had stood up. His pale skin was a huge contrast to his hair which was as black as the night sky and he looked 18, like her. He was wearing a white cotton long sleeved shirt with dark jeans. When he looked at her, onyx eyes bore into her green ones and she blushed. He was very handsome.

Hashirama cleared his throat and some of the men snickered. Sakura hadn't realised she had been staring at her bodyguard so intensely, even after he had looked away to look at her ji-chan.

"Right. Sakura, this is Uchiha Sasuke. He will be responsible for your safety and everything you need. Don't hesitate to call upon him should you need anything."

Sakura nodded. Uchiha Sasuke…

Hashirama turned to Sasuke. His face fierce.

"Uchiha. I expect no less from you. You will take care of my granddaughter and protect her at all costs. Also, since you'll always be in close proximity to her, I expect no nonsense from you. No matter how pretty you think she is, I expect you to keep your hands to yourself. My granddaughter deserves only the best. Understand?"

Sakura felt the heat rush to her cheeks. She turned to look at Sasuke but his expression was blank. He nodded and said that he understood.

Hashirama closed his eyes. He knew Sasuke was the best one for the job. He didn't have to worry about him getting unnecessarily close to his granddaughter because Sasuke had never shown any interest in females whatsoever. It also helped that Sasuke was currently studying in the school he had planned to enroll Sakura in; though Sasuke was already a second year as he was a year older than Sakura. Sasuke's abilities were also the best. He was easily the smartest out of all his men and having taken multiple martial arts as a young boy, he could no doubt defend Sakura with ease.

"Alright, everyone is free to go about your own business. Uchiha, please assist Sakura to her room."

Sasuke nodded and turned to Sakura.

"Haruno-sama, this way please," Sasuke said.

"Please, just Sakura is fine," Sakura said, smiling shyly at her new bodyguard.

"Okay. This way please, Sakura-sama."

Sasuke had completely misunderstood what she meant but she didn't fight it.

They walked in silence. When they had reached her room, Sasuke pointed out the way to the bathroom.

"If you need me, my quarters are down the hall on the right. I share my room with 4 others but please do not hesitate to knock."

Sakura nodded. She had been looking around her room till her eyes settled on something. It was a photo of her mother in her youth, her blonde hair was tied in a high ponytail and she was grinning widely. She was beautiful.

She hadn't realised that she had shed a tear until Sasuke gently wiped the droplet from her cheek. His finger lingered on her cheek and Sakura looked up to stare at him. He was looking at her, with an unreadable face.

He dropped his hand and bowed before turning to leave.

"Ah, wait! Uchiha-san!" Sakura called out, a little too loud.

Sasuke stopped at the door and turned his head.

"Thank you," Sakura whispered. She could feel the heat in her cheeks again, more so at where his finger had lingered.

"It's not a problem," Sasuke replied.

Sakura smiled and was about to go about unpacking when Sasuke spoke again.

"Please, just Sasuke is fine," he said before leaving.

Sakura could have sworn she saw a smirk.

* * *

A/N: Well, this is it for chapter 1. I can't guarantee that I'll update very often because I'm extremely busy but I'll try so please be patient with me. I hope you guys enjoyed this. More to come!


	2. Chapter 2: New Faces

**Your Heart in My Hand**

* * *

 **A/N:** Hi everyone. I'm back with another chapter. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed and favourite-ed. I appreciate it so much. THANK YOU.

 **A little warning:** This fic is an **AU** so characters will definitely be **OOC**.

Without further ado, enjoy the second chapter of **Your Heart in My Hand**.

Inspired by Fujiwara Kiyo's Wild Ones.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: New Faces**

* * *

The alarm rang and Sakura moaned. She groggily hit the 'stop' button on her phone and rubbed her eyes. She was just about to slip back into the covers when a knock on her door stopped her.

"Come in," Sakura called out as she fell back into her pillow.

"Sakura-sama? It's time to wake up and get ready for your first day of school," came Sasuke's deep voice.

Sakura's eyes opened immediately and she turned to look at the black haired male standing at her door. He was already dressed in their school uniform- a thick black long sleeved gakuran with gold buttons. Inside, he wore a long sleeved white shirt. Sakura couldn't help but stare; he looked really good.

A throat clear jolted Sakura back to reality as she realised she was still in bed.

"Oh, right. I'm sorry I'm just not used to waking up this early," She said sheepishly.

Sasuke shook his head, a small smile on his face.

"You have about an hour before we leave. I'll be waiting outside the bath to show you where we'll be having breakfast," Sasuke said before closing the door.

Sakura groaned. She hated waking up early. All this while, she had been home schooled by her mother and had never experienced the pain of waking up early for school. She was however, really excited. Her ji-chan had told her that the school had an after school art co-curriculum that she was particularly interested in. She had always had a special love for the arts and she couldn't wait to sign up.

* * *

When Sakura reached the bathroom, she immediately covered her face and screamed internally. She hadn't expected to see so many half naked men in the morning- though they had all apologised and cleared off when they saw her mortified face. She was really glad that the house had two bath rooms. The male one was obviously larger to accommodate the all-male population in the house while the female one had remained completely unused. She assumed her mother had been the only person to use it when she had lived here.

When she was done soaking in the tub, Sakura washed herself and started to get dress. Her uniform was a long sleeved shirt, with the sleeves slightly puffy. It was sailor-like in appearance, like most Japanese high school uniforms. After tying her long pink hair into a high ponytail, she opened the door of the toilet, to find Sasuke standing next to it like he had mentioned.

She saw his eyes widen slightly before turning away from her.

"You look nice. Come on, the dining hall is this way."

Sakura blushed at the compliment and they made their way to breakfast.

* * *

The dining hall was noisy. All around, men ate and talked. Whenever she passed them, they would give her a nod and she would smile in return.

"Hey! Sasuke! Over here!"

Sakura followed the sound of the voice to the very end of the table. A blonde male was frantically waving, repeatedly calling Sasuke's name.

Sakura giggled. The blonde was now standing on his chair, jumping and shouting Sasuke's name.

Sasuke stared at Naruto with an annoyed expression. Did he have to be so loud in the morning? He turned to Sakura.

"Sakura-sama, is it fine if we sit with my friends for breakfast? If you prefer not to, we could always dine somewhere else," Sasuke asked.

"I don't mind," Sakura replied. She was actually looking forward to making friends with some of her ji-chan's men since they would all be staying together.

When they reached the end of the table, all 3 men nodded at Sakura. Sitting at the edge was a pale skinned guy with short black hair who immediately started doodling in his sketchbook once he had greeted her. Sasuke introduced him as Sai. Next to him was the blonde who had called Sasuke over. He was called Naruto. He was grinning at Sakura and gesturing for her to sit next to him. The male sitting opposite Sai slapped the blonde's hand away.

"Morning Sakura-sama. You're looking real good in our school uniform. Here, I've reserved this seat just for you."

The guy who had spoken had bangs that hung above his eyebrows and white hair that framed his face. He was grinning flirtatiously and was petting the seat beside him.

"Suigetsu," Sasuke growled. "Watch it."

"Good morning, Sakura-sama," came a voice from behind. Sakura turned to face a rather serious looking man. His long black hair hung loose and his eyes were a lovely shade of lavender.

"Morning, erm?"

"Neji," the man said as he took his place next to Naruto.

* * *

Breakfast was a brief affair. The grilled salmon and wakame soup were delicious. School was a 20 minute walk from the house and Sakura could barely contain herself. Sure, she was nervous but she was also really psyched for her first day at school. Though, she wished Sasuke would allow her to carry her own bag.

Naruto was walking beside her and telling her about how the cafeteria served the best ramen on Wednesdays and how the principal, Sarutobi Hiruzen had been a member of her ji-chan's gang before he left to pursue his own interests. Even though he was no longer part of the gang, he still maintained a good relationship with Hashirama.

"Sarutobi-sensei is awesome. You'll like him, Sakura-sama. He was so kind to waive off our school fees for now till we can pay him back. I mean, cause he knows most of us, well…"

Naruto didn't need to finish his sentence. Sakura knew exactly what he meant. Her ji-chan had told her about how most of the men in his gang were orphans. Poor and lost in the streets, Hashirama had taken them in. He had made most of his fortune from the 'protection fees' he imposed on the people- he does no such thing now and used it to take care of his men. Hashirama now made a living through the many martial art dojos he had opened. It benefited his men and gave them a space to channel their energy. Of course, none of their clients knew that they had yakuza background- the sleeves of their gi covered their tattoos nicely.

The gates of Konoha High soon greeted them. Sakura marvelled at the sight. The school was beautiful. A bust statue of whom she assumed to be Sarutobi Hiruzen was placed along the entrance of the school.

A scream pierced her ear as Sakura walked in. Shocked, she looked around to find the source. She had thought, maybe, that someone had fallen into the huge fountain that was in the courtyard.

"Ah, it's Sasuke-senpai!"

"Oh my god Neji-senpai looks so good with his hair like that!"

"Kyah! Suigetsu-senpai winked at me!"

Throngs of girls had gathered around them, trying to get the attention of the 5 boys who were walking with her. Though most of them stared at the boys, some were also glaring at her. It didn't help that all 5 guys had eyes only for her; Naruto was rambling about what today's lunch could, Suigetsu had tried to drape his arm around Sakura's waist, earning him a punch to the gut by Sasuke who then hovered close to Sakura, staring daggers at Suigetsu. Sai and Neji, though quiet, still walked closely by her side. Sakura could feel eyes boring into her head.

"Hey! Over here!" came a high pitched voice.

Sakura looked over to see a platinum blonde haired female, waving them over. A girl with black hair was smiling at them shyly.

When they reached the two girls, the blonde haired girl pulled Sakura out from her circle.

"You must be Sakura," The blonde said, a huge grin on her face.

"Ah, yes I am. How did you know…?"

"Sai told me. He's my boyfriend," the blonde said, as she went over to embrace a smiling Sai. "I'm Ino by the way."

"Sakura-sama, this is my girlfriend Hinata. She's Neji's cousin," Naruto said as he laced his hands with Hinata's. Sakura giggled as Hinata's face turned bright red.

Cousins? Sakura could see the similarities.

A hand pulled on Sakura's own and she turned to face Sasuke.

"Sakura-sama, we need to go to the office. You have to get your timetable."

Sakura nodded and followed Sasuke to the office, noting that he had not let go of her hand.

* * *

 **A/N:** This was it for chapter 2. I know it's a little short but I thought it would be nice to end off the chapter this way. I just wanted to thank everyone for your nice comments, it made me very happy and I feel very encouraged. :) Thank you everyone.


	3. Chapter 3: Danger, Red Hair

**Your Heart in My Hand**

* * *

 **A/N:** Hey guys. Once again, I would like to thank you for your support. Frankly, I didn't think this fic would even get any views so I'm really surprised at the number of views I've had so far. I appreciate it. I also wanted to apologise if I take a bit longer for updates because I'm slammed with work most of the time so… T-T

 **A little warning:** This fic is an **AU** so characters will definitely be **OOC**.

Without further ado, enjoy the third chapter of **Your Heart in My Hand**.

Inspired by Fujiwara Kiyo's Wild Ones.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Danger, Red Hair**

* * *

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura whispered.

"Sakura-sama?"

They were in the office now, waiting for someone to attend to them.

"Could you, erm, let go of my hand please?" Sakura said softly, blushing furiously.

"Oh. Right. I'm sorry," Sasuke muttered, letting her hand drop to her side. He hadn't realised he was still gripping on to her hand. Red stained the cheeks of his pale face. He turned so she wouldn't see.

"Oh? Sasuke-kun? How may I help?" a black haired lady came from one of the rooms in the office. She was smiling at the both of them.

"Yes, Shizune-sensei. Could you give me 2 copies of Haruno Sakura-sama's timetable please."

Eh? Sakura turned to Sasuke and arched her eyebrow. Shizune caught it.

"Not to worry, Sakura-chan. We at the office are aware of your _special_ background," she said with a wink before going to the room she had come from.

It didn't take long for Shizune to return. Sakura took a look at her timetable and saw that she had Science first.

They left the office and Sasuke took 1 copy of the timetable from her.

"I'll need this so that I can know your whereabouts. Also, could we please exchange numbers please?"

Sakura knew it was only because he needed to keep in contact with her as her bodyguard but her heart still skipped a beat. A guy had never asked for her number before. Well, she hadn't had much chances to interact with the opposite gender since she had been home schooled her whole life.

After they had exchanged numbers, Sasuke led her to her first class. The bell rang to signal that students had only 10 minutes before class officially started.

"Erm, Sasuke-kun?"

"Yes, Sakura-sama?"

"Won't you be late for your own class?"

Sasuke turned to her and shook his head.

"Well, yes but it doesn't matter. You're more important."

Sakura blushed.

* * *

Sasuke knocked on the door.

"Yamato-sensei, this is Haruno Sakura. She's new to Konoha High," Sasuke announced as he gently pushed her into the class.

Yamato arched his eyebrow. In all his teaching years, he had never seen Sasuke invested in anyone's business- especially one concerning the opposite gender. He laughed inwardly.

"Alright, thank you Sasuke. Sakura, please come in."

Before Sakura could walk in, Sasuke grabbed her hand. Sakura could hear the girls in her class gasp.

"I'll be waiting outside your classroom when it's time for lunch," Sasuke said, staring into her eyes.

Sakura gulped and nodded. Sasuke leaned into her ear.

"See you later, Sakura-sama," he whispered.

Sakura blushed. She could feel all eyes on her.

When Sasuke left, Yamato had introduced her to the class and assigned her next to an Uzumaki Karin. The red head had not stopped glaring at her ever since she sat down next to her and occasionally mumbled angrily under her breath.

Cells were the topic covered in Science today. Though, Sakura had already learnt about it during her lessons with her mother, she was still happy to learn it again. She had been able to answer most of the questions, earning her praise from her sensei. She could feel Karin fuming beside her.

When class ended, Sakura had stood up to leave when a hand roughly pulled her back into her chair.

Karin was glaring at her with utmost hatred.

"Look here you little know-it-all. Try anything with _my_ Sasuke and I'll kill you. He's mine and he'll _never_ like someone like _you_ ," she spat.

Karin stood up and left in a huff, a few girls trailing after her, snickering at Sakura.

Sakura didn't need Karin to tell her all that. She knew Sasuke would never like her. Moreover, she knew he only saw her as his boss's granddaughter, nothing more. He was only talking to her and caring for her because he had no choice. She sighed and got up to go to her next class.

* * *

"Alright, please remember to hand up your consent form for next week's field trip to the museum and you can all go off for your lunch break," Kakashi, her history teacher said before dismissing everyone.

When Sakura exited her class, she saw Sasuke leaning beside the door.

"Hey," he said when he saw her.

"Hey…"

Sasuke looked at her, confused. She had been in a good mood when he left her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, turning her so she would face him.

It rang so clearly in Sakura's mind. _He'll never like someone like you_.

"I'm fine. It's nothing. I'm hungry, let's go," she said, smiling.

Sasuke nodded, he knew she wasn't okay but he didn't want to push it.

It was easy to spot their table once they entered the cafeteria. Naruto's and Ino's blonde hair stood out like sore thumbs amongst the sea of dark coloured hair.

"Ah, Sakura! Sasuke!" Naruto called out. They had agreed on calling Sakura sans honorifics while there were in school in order to avoid suspicion.

Hinata was wedged between Neji and Naruto, who was slurping on his udon. Hinata, worry etched on her face and Neji were having a hushed conversation. Ino was sitting on the opposite side with Sai, who was doodling again, though he still answered Ino when she spoke to him. Suigetsu was nowhere to be seen.

Sakura took a seat next to Ino and the blonde turned to give her a smile.

"How were your classes, Sakura-sama?" Sasuke asked, while eating his food.

"Hmm? They were okay. I've already learned most of the topics so I could keep up," Sakura said, with a grin.

Sasuke nodded, impressed. He had thought he would have had to tutor her. Secretly, he was disappointed that he couldn't.

"That's good. If you need any help I could-"

" _I_ could tutor you, Sakura-sama,"Suigetsu said suddenly, from behind Sakura.

"Fuck off, Suigetsu," Sasuke said, glaring.

"Ooh, touchy," Suigetsu said, laughing.

Suigetsu took a seat beside Sasuke and Sakura was very aware that Sasuke's shoulder were now touching hers. She tried moving nearer to Ino but Sasuke would move too when she did. She hoped that he couldn't hear her heart, now beating like a jackhammer.

"Hey, hey, everyone listen up. I was thinking, since summer vacation is coming soon, we should all go on a trip! What say you guys?" Naruto asked, looking at everyone expectantly.

Ino and Sai agreed immediately. Neji had said he would think about it but upon encouragement from Hinata, also agreed.

Sasuke turned to Sakura.

"Sakura-sama, would you like us to go?"

Huh? Sakura felt her heart almost leap out of her ribcage.

"Ah… I…"

Naruto interrupted. "Oh come on, Sakura-sama. If you don't go, Sasuke can't as well."

Oh. Sakura felt her cheeks redden from embarrassment. Of course. She should have known. He couldn't leave her alone- he was her bodyguard.

"Erm, I…"

Suigetsu interjected.

"Well, Sasuke could go and I'll be her interim bodyguard," Suigetsu said, propping his chin on his hand, elbow on the table. "We could get to know each other while everyone is away eh, Sakura-sama?"

Suigetsu wiggled his eyebrows and Sakura giggled.

Sasuke shoved Suigetsu off the bench.

"What the fuck, Sasuke?!"

Everyone laughed and Suigetsu scowled at Sasuke.

"I guess it would be fun to go. I'm in. Sasuke-kun?" Sakura turned to look at the black haired male.

"Of course."

* * *

When lunch was over, Sasuke walked Sakura to her next class. She had English next and coincidentally, Ino was also in the same class.

"Sasuke, you don't have to walk Sakura to class. _I'm_ with her," Ino said, arching her eyebrow.

Sasuke ignored her.

When they got to the classroom, Sasuke stopped Sakura before she went in.

"Sakura-sama, I'll be waiting outside later when your last class ends. I'll-"

"Erm, actually, I'll be going to the art room to sign up for an extra-curricular class after school so you can head home first," Sakura said. "It'll probably take a while."

Sasuke shook his head.

"I'll be waiting outside the art room then. We'll go home together."

Resigned, Sakura nodded and went into her classroom. Ino had already taken a seat and gestured for Sakura to sit next to her.

Ino began even before Sakura sat down.

"So, you and Sasuke eh?" Ino said, a smirk on her face.

What? Sakura's face reddened.

"Huh? Oh, no. He's… he's just my bodyguard."

Ino shook her head.

"Come on, Sakura. I saw the look on your face when he held your hand. And look, your face is really red right now," Ino said laughing.

Sakura looked away and tried to cover her face with her hands but Ino gently pried them away.

"You know, being in love is nothing to be ashamed of," Ino said.

Sakura nodded, slowly.

"I know. I'm not ashamed. I'm afraid," Sakura whispered.

Before Ino could ask why, class started.

* * *

Sakura was thankful she had her remaining other classes away from Ino. It wasn't that she didn't like her- Sakura liked her a lot in fact. She had a lot of confidence, something Sakura wished she also possessed. But she couldn't take any more questions regarding her love life. It was too painful.

Though, Sakura was far from heartbroken now. It was finally the end of school and she was making her way to the art room. She had managed to ask Ino about the co-curricular activity and learnt that Sai had actually been a member before quitting. When Sakura asked why, Ino had said that Sai didn't like the people there. That got Sakura a little worried but she wouldn't let anything spoil her happiness now.

The art room was surprisingly quiet. Sakura knocked and a deep voice answered her.

"Come in."

Sakura took a step in and her eyes widened. What greeted her were stacks of canvases placed neatly in a corner, different kinds of paint medium from famous brands were in a shelf, thousands of colour pencils decorated the top of the cupboards and well, it went on and on.

"Most new recruits have that same look on their faces when they see what we have," the same deep voice said with a chuckle.

Sakura turned to the easel furthest from the door and saw that it came from a red haired male. He gestured at her to come nearer and Sakura slowly stepped forward. She realised, he was the only one in the room.

When she was about a metre away, he stood up and stuck out his hand.

"Hello. My name is Sasori. I'm the president of the Art Club. I assume you're here to sign up? You are?"

Sakura shook his hand and tried to ignore the small jolt of electricity that had surged through her when they touched.

"Hi. I'm Haruno Sakura. I'm a first year. I would like to join the Art Club as a member please," she said, smiling shyly.

Sasori's eyes widened slightly.

"Haruno Sakura huh? You're the new student aren't you?"

Sakura nodded.

"Are you the same year as I am?" she asked, curious.

Sasori shook his head and laughed softly.

"I'm in my third year actually."

Sakura couldn't help but gasp in shock. Sasori looked so… young.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Sasori-senpai," Sakura said with a bow.

Sasori chuckled.

"You don't have to apologise. I get that a lot. I see it as a compliment," he grinned.

After filling up some papers, Sasori had asked Sakura if she would like to try painting.

She had of course, agreed.

"But I'm not good at it though," she said, a little embarrassed.

"Hey, it's okay. Everyone starts at the bottom. Why not try painting a simple painting of, hmm, that," Sasori said as he pointed to the outside of the window where a lone cherry blossom stood.

"Eh? A cherry blossom tree?"

"Yeap. Sakura are beautiful, no?" Sasori said, staring into her eyes.

Sakura averted her gaze, but she still felt a tiny amount of blush creep to her face.

"Well, shall we start? I'll paint with you," Sasori said handing her a paint brush and a box of Liquidtex Basics. "You can use any easel you want."

Sakura decided on the easel directly opposite of Sasori. She first sketched out the tree, using a white charcoal pencil. Once she was satisfied, she proceeded to slowly colour in the background. As she did her work, she noticed Sasori occasionally staring at her. When their eyes would meet, both would laugh in embarrassment and continue their work.

She hadn't realised it but 2 hours had already passed. When Sakura looked up at Sasori, he seemed to still be painting. His bangs almost touched his eyes and his hair was curly. He wasn't nearly as handsome as Sasuke but he was still pretty, in his own way.

Sasori walked over to Sakura and nodded when he saw her painting.

"This is pretty good for a beginner. You're sure this is your first time?" he teased.

Sakura blushed.

"It is actually. Thank you for the compliment. Could I see your painting too?"

Sasori blinked.

"Sure."

When Sakura saw what Sasori had painted, her eyes widened. He had painted a portrait of… her. He had even captured the seriousness of her face when she was working on her own painting.

"I hope you don't find this weird. Still, a cherry blossom, yes?"

Sakura shook her head. The painting was beautiful.

"It's really good! I can see why you're the president." Sakura said, with a smile.

"Thank you but it's not exactly the best. I didn't have time with me," Sasori said as he edged a bit closer to Sakura. "Sakura, I-"

A sharp knock on the door interrupted Sasori.

"Sakura, I'm here. It's late, let's-" Sasuke stopped when he saw the red head. He glared at Sasori.

"You," Sasuke growled.

Sakura looked back and forth between both guys, confused. Did Sasuke know Sasori? Why was he glaring at him?

"Erm, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke's gaze softened when he looked at Sakura.

"Come on. Let's go home," Sasuke said.

Sakura nodded and packed her things. She turned to Sasori.

"Senpai, you were saying something before?"

Sasori shook his head, chuckling.

"I'll tell you the next time we meet. I think your boyfriend's about to kill me."

Sakura turned scarlet.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun's not my boy-"

"Sakura," Sasuke said, a little forcibly.

"Okay, Sasuke-kun, I'm done," Sakura said, stuffing her drawing materials into her bag. "See you next week, Sasori-senpai."

Sakura had turned to wave goodbye when Sasuke grabbed Sakura's hand and pulled her away from the classroom. He shot Sasori another glare before he left.

As he watched them go, Sasori smirked.

"Interesting."

* * *

 **A/N:** This is the end. This chapter is a little longer than my previous two so I hope you enjoyed it!


	4. Chapter 4: The Others

**Your Heart in My Hand**

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you for your patience! A huge thank you for all your reviews. I appreciate them and they make me very happy.

 **A little warning:** This fic is an **AU** so characters will definitely be **OOC**.

Without further ado, enjoy the fourth chapter of Your Heart in My Hand.

Inspired by Fujiwara Kiyo's Wild Ones.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter 4: The Others**

* * *

Sakura knew Sasuke was angry. She just didn't know why. He had dragged her out of school and had not let go of her hand. He had stopped the pulling and was now walking at a normal pace.

After what felt like an eternity, he spoke.

"Sakura-sama, I want you to stop going for Art Club."

Sakura tried withdrawing her hand from Sasuke's but he only gripped it even more firmly.

"Why?"

Sasuke shook his head.

"You don't need to know why. Just listen to me," Sasuke said, looking into her eyes.

Sakura looked away and frowned. She liked the Art Club. She wasn't going to stop just because Sasuke told her to.

"I'm sorry Sasuke-kun but I really like the Art Club so I'll have to disregard what you just told me to do," Sakura said, trying her best to sound equally as determined as when Sasuke told her to quit.

"Sakura-sama…" Sasuke warned.

"I think I can make my own decisions. I'm still going for Art Club. And, I don't have to listen to you. You're just… just my bodyguard," Sakura said.

Sasuke smirked.

"Really? As I recalled, that bastard called me your boyfriend."

Sakura blushed. She had expected Sasuke to get angry when she had said whatever she said.

"I didn't tell him anything. And, you should very well know you're not… my boyfriend."

Sasuke had already let go of her hand so she turned away from him. She didn't want him to see how red her face was.

"So if I were your boyfriend, you would stop going for the Art Club?"

Huh? Sakura turned slowly to face a now expressionless Sasuke.

"What?" Sakura asked.

"You would stop going for Art Club, if I were your boyfriend?" Sasuke repeated, softly this time.

Sakura bit her lip. She didn't know what to say. Sakura decided to do the only thing she felt was right.

She ran.

* * *

Sakura couldn't sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened a few hours ago. She had run from where they had been to their home and had not spoken to anyone except her ji-chan who had come into her room to ask her about her first day. She hadn't seen Sasuke since.

She groaned into her pillow. She needed to sleep- she had school tomorrow. She decided to close her eyes and relax. A knock on her door jolted her awake. It was already past midnight and she was pretty sure everyone was asleep. The knock came again and Sakura got up to answer it.

"Who's there?" she asked softly, cracking the door just a little.

The voice who answered her made her heart stop.

"Sakura-sama. It's me, Sasuke. Can I please come in?"

Before Sakura could answer however, Sasuke pushed her in. He locked the door and covered her mouth.

A few minutes passed before Sasuke dropped his hand from Sakura's mouth.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-sama. I thought I heard someone. We're not allowed near your room," he whispered. "Can we talk?"

Sakura nodded and sat down on her futon. Sasuke did the same. Sakura hoped that Sasuke wouldn't be able to hear the loud beating of her heart.

"Sakura-sama, I wanted to apologise for what I said today," Sasuke started.

Sakura kept quiet but nodded to show him she was listening.

"I shouldn't have teased you about becoming your boyfriend. I'm sorry, I was out of line. You deserve better than me."

Huh? Sakura turned to Sasuke slowly. Both his eyes were closed. He was sitting cross legged and was wearing a simple white and blue yukata- standard sleep wear for most of her ji-chan's men- which he had tied loosely. The front of his yukata hung inches from his body as he leaned forward, exposing his well-toned chest. Sakura averted her eyes, her cheeks burning.

Sasuke's voice snapped her back to reality.

"What did you say?" Sakura asked, turning her head away.

"I said I was sorry. Forgive me, Sakura-sama," Sasuke said softly.

Sakura felt her chest tighten. She hadn't expected Sasuke to have even apologised for what happened.

When Sakura said nothing, Sasuke grabbed her hands. She gasped from the sudden contact.

"Forgive me, please?" Sasuke pleaded, squeezing her hands.

Sakura resisted the urge to hug him. She knew he was only apologising because he didn't want her to tell her ji-chan. But she would never. She knew if she did, her ji-chan would probably punish Sasuke and ensured that he never sees her again and she couldn't have that. She would never want that.

"Sasuke-kun… I'm not mad," Sakura said, gently.

Sasuke's eyes lit up. He smiled a little before heaving a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Sakura-sama. But… I still stand by what I said. I do not want you to attend the Art Club. Sasori isn't… He isn't what you think he is," Sasuke said, his voice turning cold when he spoke about Sasori.

Sakura looked down and bit her lip.

"Could you at least tell me why you don't want me to go?" Sakura asked, hoping.

Sasuke closed his eyes once again and sighed. He was hoping Sakura would have just agreed to stop but he should have known. She was Hashirama's granddaughter after all.

When Sasuke opened his eyes, he turned to look at Sakura. She was pouting at him, her eyebrows furrowed, a look of determination in her emerald eyes. He turned away, resisting. He heard Sakura sigh and he felt her hand grab his arm, pulling it.

"Sasuke-kun, please?" she said, puppy eyes forming.

Sasuke rolls his eyes and Sakura smiles because she knows she's won.

"Fine," he said, groaning.

Sakura released her hand from Sasuke's and grinned.

"Go on," Sakura said.

Sasuke shook his head and began.

"Well, to put it simply, Sasori is from a rival gang."

Sakura frowned. Hadn't her ji-chan retired from the life of a criminal? Why were there still rival gangs to worry about?

"Was this why Sai left the club?"

Sasuke nodded and continued.

"The founder of _that_ gang was a friend of Hashirama-sama. The both of them had started this gang, our gang, together but… But after a while, things went awry. Both of them started to have differing opinions and well, the other guy left. He started a new gang and we've been rivals ever since."

Sakura nodded. She hadn't heard of a rival gang. Of course, she hadn't known she had any living relatives that were yakuza previously.

"Who was this other guy? My ji-chan's friend."

Sasuke's eyes hardened.

"It's not any of your business," he replied coldly.

Sakura flinched. She hadn't expected for Sasuke to react to her question so negatively.

"I'm sorry," Sakura said, inching a little further from the black haired male.

Sasuke sighed.

"Look, Sakura-sama. The thing is, both gangs have retired from their criminal activities and technically, we're at peace now but, the younger members of Akatsuki have always been… They don't keep to their promises and their leader is always away on business so no one is there to watch over whatever they do. Just a few weeks ago, we found one of our dojos splashed with red and black paint- it was like they wanted us to know they did it. We wanted to retaliate but of course, Hashirama-sama forbade us to. They don't honour the peace treaty and this is exactly why you need to stay away from Sasori and the Art Club. I… We don't want to see you hurt."

When he finished, Sasuke looked up to meet Sakura's emerald eyes. He could see the conflict in her eyes.

After a while, Sakura spoke.

"I understand your concern for me, Sasuke-kun and I think I might have to think about this."

Sasuke opened his mouth to speak but Sakura cut him off.

"I know, I know. It's just… I really like art and the Art Club is something I see myself enjoying. I promise I'll think about it carefully," Sakura said. "It's late. We should sleep, we have school tomorrow."

Sasuke stared at Sakura and nodded after a while. When he stood to leave, she followed him to the door. Before he pulled the door open, he felt her tug on his sleeve.

"Thank you for being honest with me, Sasuke-kun," she whispered. "Good night."

Sasuke gave her a small smile and poked her forehead. Sakura turned crimson.

"Think about it carefully, okay? Good night, Sakura-sama," Sasuke whispered back before turning and opening the door.

* * *

When Sasuke got back to his room, he was glad to see that his roommates had all fallen asleep. Naruto was snoring loudly, a manga over his face. Suigetsu had rolled over to Sai's futon and Neji had his back turned away from the door.

Sasuke made his way slowly towards his futon next to Neji. It had only been 5 minutes since Sasuke climbed in when he was awoken.

"Sasuke," came Neji's voice.

Sasuke opened an eye and rolled over to face the long haired male.

"Hmm?"

"How did it go? Did she agree to quit the Art Club?" Neji asked.

Sasuke groaned and Neji chuckled.

"I'm guessing it didn't go well?" Neji said, softly.

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair.

"No. Well, she said she'll think about it. I had to tell her about Akatsuki and _him_."

Neji raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't tell her who he was, did you?"

Sasuke growled.

"Of course not. She doesn't need to know."

Neji sighed internally. Sasuke was always jumpy when talk turned to _that guy_. But Neji understood how he felt. He had things he didn't like talking about as well.

"Well, she said she'll think about it, didn't she? That's a good sign. I think Sakura-sama's sensible," Neji said, eyes closed.

"Well, she's Hashirama-sama's granddaughter so it's no doubt she'll be a tough nut to crack... But that's what I like about her I guess," Sasuke said, his eyes closed as he slowly drifted to sleep.

Huh? Neji opened his eyes and turned to Sasuke. The black haired male was smiling to himself, probably already asleep. Neji narrowed his eyes. He had never heard of Sasuke admitting that he liked any girl, ever. He had joined the gang slightly a few months before Sasuke and when Sasuke first arrived, he was a sullen, pessimistic 9-year-old. He had refused to speak and it wasn't till a certain loud mouthed blonde arrived that Sasuke began to open up.

Neji looked over at a snoring Naruto. He wasn't sure why but Naruto had that certain something about him. He was always the first one that younger members went up to when they first join and was always the peace maker during fights. Once, a few years ago, Suigetsu and Sai had almost killed each other because Suigetsu had torn one of Sai's treasured paintings and refused to apologise. Neji and Sasuke had tried reasoning with the two but to no avail. It wasn't till Naruto had spoken to the both of them privately that the matter had been settled.

When Naruto had started seeing Hinata, he had objected because he didn't want Hinata dating a member of the yakuza. However, he eventually learned to accept their relationship.

Throughout the years that the 5 of them had known each other, only Sai and Naruto had found love. Suigetsu was too much of a casanova to settle down and Neji simply didn't have any interest in love whatsoever. As for Sasuke… Well, like Neji, he had never been interested in the opposite gender. Sure, he had throngs of girls vying for his attention but he only thought of them as nothing more than nuisances.

But with Sakura, however, Sasuke had showed her much more interest than Neji thought was possible. When Hashirama had announced that he was bringing his only granddaughter back, Neji had noticed that Sasuke had been in brighter spirits. Whenever conversation turned to her, Sasuke wouldn't say a thing but Neji had seen him smiling to himself whenever he thought no one was looking.

As Neji slowly drifted to sleep, he thought he heard Sasuke whisper her name in his sleep.

* * *

When her alarm rang, Sakura almost couldn't get up. It was the knock to her door that made her open her eyes.

She opened the door groggily.

"Huh?" she said, sleepy.

The sight she saw before her woke her straight up.

His hair was damp; he had obviously just come out of the bath. His upper half was bare, his lower half wrapped in a long towel.

"Good morning Sakura-sama. It's time for breakfast," Sasuke said, running his hand through his wet hair.

"Ah…" Sakura tried not to let her eyes wonder any lower than his eyes.

Sasuke frowned and leaned in to her ear.

"It's because I made you stay up so late to talk, isn't it?"

Sakura quickly stepped back and shook head, blushing furiously.

"No, Sasuke-kun. Well, yes. I'm sorry I'll get ready now."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Alright. I'll see you at the dining hall," Sasuke said.

Sakura swore her cheeks had never been hotter.

* * *

The walk-in to school was the same as yesterday; tons of screaming girls. Ino and Hinata were waiting for them at the usual spot and Sakura happily waved at them.

Her first class was Japanese and as expected, Sasuke had walked her to class.

"Ah! Sasuke darling! I… Oh," came Karin's voice. She glared at Sakura before turning her attention to the black haired male.

"Sasuke,' Karin purred, pushing Sakura away. "The summer holidays are coming and wouldn't it be great if we went together? We could kiss as the fireworks light the sky."

Sakura felt a stab to her heart. She had imagined Karin and Sasuke kissing. She started to walk into class but Sasuke grabbed her hand. He turned to Karin, expressionless.

"No, I don't think so. I'll be away on holiday with Sakura during the holidays. Also, I don't have the slightest interest in going anywhere with you," Sasuke replied coldly.

Sakura gasped and looked between Sasuke and Karin.

"I see. I don't get what you see in _her_ but I won't give up," Karin said before walking into the classroom.

Sakura stared wide-eyed at Sasuke.

Sakura hadn't expected him to reveal that information to anyone. She hadn't expected him to even put Karin down. It wasn't that Sakura liked that Sasuke had put Karin in her place. It was something else and she was confused… Sakura noted that he hadn't let go of her hand.

"I'll see you later during break. I have to stay back in class for a few minutes later because it's my turn to collect homework so I'll see you at the cafeteria. Just look for Naruto." Sasuke said, squeezing her hand before letting go.

Sakura nodded and went into the classroom, not noticing that Karin was smirking evilly at her.

* * *

"Alright class. Please remember to read up on today's topic- there'll be a quiz on it next week. If there are no further questions, class is dismissed," Yamato said.

Sakura hurriedly got up and exited the class. She wanted to get away from sitting next to Karin as soon as possible. Also, she needed to go to the toilet urgently.

When Sakura stepped into the toilet, it had been empty. As she went on with her business, she thought about how surprisingly quiet Karin had been. She had thought the red head would taunt her to no end because of what had happened in the morning. Sakura sighed. She was glad. Maybe Karin had finally got it into her head that Sakura wasn't worth her time.

Sakura heard the door to the toilet swing open but strangely, no sound followed. When she was done, she flushed and opened the door. Sakura flinched.

Standing in front of her was Karin, smiling like she had just won the lottery. Flanking her were a few girls Sakura had seen snickering at her and fawning over Sasuke.

Sakura cautiously side stepped them in an attempt to get out but one of the girls blocked her.

"Where do you think you're going?" The girl sneered.

Sakura gulped.

"Erm, I… I'm sorry but could you move aside?"

Karin and the other girls laughed.

"I _told_ you to stay away from him. You didn't heed my warning so now you're going to suffer the consequences," Karin spat. Her red eyes glinted with malice.

The girls grabbed Sakura roughly and Karin turned to a girl in long black hair.

"Kin. Check if the halls are empty so that we can give this bitch what she deserves."

Kin nodded with a smirk.

"Karin, it's clear. Let's go before break ends!"

Karin smiled.

"Girls, you know where to bring her."

Everyone nodded and began to drag a struggling Sakura out.

"Let me go! Please! Help!" Sakura screamed.

Karin swore as Kin proceeded to place her hand over Sakura's mouth.

"Fuck. I almost forgot. Gag her. Here, the tape," Karin said.

After gagging her, they began dragging her out. Sakura struggled but she was no match for the 5 girls who were holding her. Tears began streaming down her face as she tried to shout through the masking tape across her face.

The girls headed to the courtyard and Sakura knew exactly what they planned to do. She began thrashing harder, hoping to get away.

Karin laughed loudly.

"There's no one here to save you. You can try all you want to hope for someone to come. I still don't know how you managed to capture the attention of 5 of the hottest guys in school but it doesn't matter now. They won't need to pay any attention to you any longer, you bitch!" Karin said while grinning evilly.

Sakura's eyes widened as they slammed her against the concrete of the fountain. Two of the girls then grabbed her legs and threw her in.

"I think you need to wake up. Trying to steal Sasuke from me… Dream on!" Karin growled and pushed Sakura's head under the water. "The water should help."

Sakura's nose burned as water went in. She wanted to fight back but she couldn't. The fountain wasn't deep but she didn't have the strength to push off the hands that were now keeping her submerged. Just when she thought she was going to lose consciousness, Karin pulled her up by her hair.

"I don't think she looks any different from before. Maybe another round should do it, don't you think girls?" She said, looking at the other girls who were smiling.

Sakura knew to hold her breath this time as they plunged her into the water once again. She had stopped struggling, defeated.

Sasuke-kun…

It was then she heard a deep voice shout angrily.

"What the fuck do you bitches think you're doing? Stop!"

Sakura felt the hands previously holding her down, release their grasp and she surfaced immediately. She peeled off the masking tape and began to cough violently. She looked up, eyes stinging and that was when she saw the 5 of them, glaring at Karin and her lackeys.

The one who had shouted ran to her and carried her out of the fountain. She hadn't realised she had been shivering. The man immediately took off his gakuran and wrapped it around her.

Brown eyes met her emerald ones and Sasori spoke.

"Sakura, are you okay?"

* * *

A/N: Well this is it for chapter 4. I'm sorry it took so long. The writer's block was real. I have no plans on stopping this fan fic so please don't worry everyone. But please forgive me if I take a little longer to update. I'll see you guys soon!


	5. Chapter 5: Okinawa

**Your Heart in My Hand**

* * *

 **A/N:** Hey guys I'm back. Enjoy!

 **A little warning:** This fic is an **AU** so characters will definitely be **OOC**.

Without further ado, enjoy the fifth chapter of **Your Heart in My Hand**.

Inspired by Fujiwara Kiyo's Wild Ones.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Okinawa**

* * *

Sakura coughed. The chlorine stung her eyes and she was shivering violently. Sasori rubbed her back gently. Her uniform was completely soaked and she noted that Sasori's lower half was wet as well.

They were both sitting on the ground, Sasori's friends surrounding them. Sasori had introduced each of them once the situation had been controlled. Sakura looked up and light blue eyes met hers. Pain nodded at her and Sakura gave a small smile back. He had spiky orange hair and piercings on his nose and ears. He stood with an air of confidence, in fact all of the 4 surrounding them did. When Sasori had brought Sakura out of the water, Karin and her friends are tried to flee but were stopped by a blonde male with long hair tied into a high ponytail, Deidara and a grey haired male with hair slicked back, Hidan. After informing them that they would be hearing from the principal very soon, they let the girls go.

Deidara was staring into the distance, smirking like he was expecting something to happen. Hidan was toying with a pendent on his necklace and whistling- he looked bored. The last guy, Itachi had his back to Sakura. He had long black hair that he had pulled together into a low ponytail. When he turned to look at her, she almost gasped.

His eyes were as black as night and he was very handsome. His fringe was long and parted in the middle but there was no doubt that he looked like Sasuke. When he spoke, his voice was very deep.

"Sakura-san, was it? Are you okay?" He asked, staring at her with the same intense black eyes she knew so well.

"Ah, yes I am. Thank you so much for-"

A shout across the courtyard interrupted her.

"Sakura!"

Sakura looked up and saw Sasuke, sprinting towards her. Naruto, Neji, Sai and Suigetsu followed behind.

"Let go of her, you Akatsuki scum!" Sasuke growled.

Deidara's smirk widened.

"Ah, members of Kyubi. I think a thank you is in order, hmm?"

Sasuke's eyes widened in anger and he started walking towards Deidara.

"Why you-"

Naruto held up his arm and Sasuke stopped, a look of annoyance on his face.

"Wait, Sasuke," Naruto spoke and turned to the blonde.

"Deidara, what exactly do you mean?"

Hidan laughed.

"What Deidara was trying to say was that, you better thank us for saving your little princess here. We saw a group of your fangirls trying to drown her."

Horror filled the eyes of the Kyubi boys.

Neji was the first to speak.

"Sakura… Sakura-sama, is what Hidan said true?"

Sakura nodded.

"When I went to the toilet after science class, Karin and her friends ambushed me," she recounted.

Sasuke opened his mouth to speak but Sakura continued.

"After taping my mouth, they dragged me to the fountain and threw me in. They kept trying to push my head in but Sasori and his friends saved me," Sakura said, giving a smile to Sasori who smiled back.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"So you Akatsuki scum just _happened_ to be near the courtyard during break?"

"Are you trying to say that we set this up?" Sasori said, expressionless.

Suigetsu rolled his eyes.

"Don't act so innocent. We haven't forgotten what you did at the dojo."

Before a fight could break out, Sakura quickly intervened.

"Guys, please. I'm fine now. Please?" she said, looking between the two groups.

After a few tense seconds, both groups agreed to leave, albeit begrudgingly.

Pain turned to the Kyubi members before leaving.

"I'm sorry for what my members did to your dojo. I will punish those responsible accordingly."

Naruto nodded.

As the Kyubi members were about to turn their attention to Sakura, Deidara spoke.

"Oh and guys," Deidara smirked. "Good luck for when Hashirama finds out that you failed to protect his precious granddaughter. Next time, do your job so that we don't have to do it for you."

Sakura turned to look at Sasuke who currently had an expressionless face. Sakura had seen him staring at Itachi when the Akatsuki members walked away and it only fuelled her curiosity on the nature of their relationship.

Naruto spoke first.

"Sakura-sama, we're sorry we didn't get here quick enough. We…"

Neji continued.

"We felt something amiss when you didn't turn up after Sasuke came. We checked the classroom of your last class but you weren't there. We searched a few other places before coming to the courtyard but…"

"I know we were too late but we're glad you're alright," Sai said, giving Sakura a relieved smile.

Suigetsu petted her head.

"Don't you worry, Sakura-sama, we'll make sure those girls never come close to you again."

Sakura smiled at all of them and turned to Sasuke; he had been silent during the whole exchange.

Worry filled her eyes.

"Sasuke-kun?"

A loud shout came before Sasuke could react.

"There you are! What happened?! We just saw the members of Akatsuki leaving!" Ino questioned while running over. Hinata trailed behind her.

Before anyone could answer her, Ino's eyes fell on Sakura and she gasped.

"Sakura! What the hell happened?" she said, hugging her pink haired friend.

Sai sighed.

"Some fangirls decided it would be fun to mess with Sakura-sama but-"

Ino interjected.

"But you guys saved her before more damage could be done, yes?" Ino said, looking at the Kyubi members.

Suigetsu spoke.

"We-"

Sasuke's deep voice cut in.

"It wasn't us. It was the members of Akatsuki that saved her," he said with his back against everyone.

* * *

Hashirama closed his eyes and rubbed his temple. He really didn't want to do this. He sighed. Kneeling before him were 5 of his men. Sakura stood at his side, worry filled her eyes and she kept glancing back and forth between them and her ji-chan.

Hashirama spoke.

"I am truly disappointed."

The 5 men only lowered their heads further, silent.

Hashirama continued.

"Hiruzen told me everything. I can't believe no one had the foresight to see this coming! Uchiha!" he snapped.

Sasuke looked up, expressionless.

"I hear that this Karin girl has been pining, obsessed even, with you for a few months now. Did you not think she would do something to Sakura, seeing as my granddaughter is the only girl you interact with at school? I told you to protect Sakura, to make sure no harm came to her and this is how you perform?"

Sasuke only lowered his head even more.

"I'm sorry, Hashirama-sama. I didn't think she would have done anything. I think… I think it escalated after I told Karin that I didn't have any interest in her whatsoever," Sasuke said. "I would never want any harm to come to Sakura-sama" he added, glancing quickly at a red faced Sakura.

Hashirama sighed. While he was glad that Hiruzen had promised proper punishments to the girls who were involved, he wasn't sure how _he_ would discipline his men. Unless…

Hashirama turned to Sakura.

"Sakura, my old friend has invited me to Okinawa to see him and his son. Would you like to come along since your holidays start next week?"

Eh? Where did this come from? Hadn't the atmosphere been tense before?

"I would love to, ji-chan," Sakura answered, with a smile.

Hashirama nodded and turned back to his men, his face cold once again.

"You lot, listen up! You will pack your bags for a weeklong trip to Okinawa."

The boys looked up and looked at each other, confused. They had been expecting a punishment.

"Hashirama-sama, we're confused. Are you not going to punish us for what we did?" Naruto asked.

The old man laughed loudly.

"Of course I am. You idiots will be spending your time at Okinawa working your asses off. Dismissed."

* * *

The boys had been silent throughout the whole almost 4 hour flight to Okinawa. They were now in a van, heading to the house they would be staying in. The drive was calming. The sky was beginning to darken and Sakura looked out the window to see the ocean. It was beautiful.

Sakura turned to look at Sasuke. He was sitting beside her, and he had his eyes closed. Sakura clenched her fists. She desperately wanted to reach out and touch his face, to ask him what was wrong. Sasuke had been acting weird ever since the incident with Akatsuki. True, he was always quiet but he had never ignored Sakura. After their little confrontation, Sasuke had accompanied Sakura to the principal's office and Sakura had tried to get him to open up but to no avail.

When they had arrived home, he had gone into his room immediately without a word. Naruto had told her that he had tried getting him to come down for dinner but he had refused to eat anywhere except his room; Sakura took comfort in the fact that the other Kyubi boys had accompanied him during dinner.

Sakura sighed internally. She hated knowing he was upset. She hated the fact that it had might have something to do with her. She couldn't stand knowing he hated her.

The van started to slow down as they went up a hill. The road was bumpy and Sakura gripped onto the side of seat. She almost gasped when she felt his arm snake around the front of her waist. She turned to look at him but he didn't give her a glance and stared straight ahead, expressionless. Sakura was glad her ji-chan had chosen to sit beside the driver; her cheeks were burning.

The house was small, built with wood. Standing in front of the door was a man with a bowl cut. Standing next to him was a man who looked younger, his son she assumed. Not only had the boy chosen to cut a similar hairstyle, he had also taken to wearing almost the same type of clothing. While the older man wore a dark green sleeveless shirt with khaki cargo pants, the younger one wore a light green singlet with dark blue jeans. Both were smiling and waving as the van pulled over.

When Hashirama stepped out, the older man immediately gave him a hug.

"Hashirama-san! I'm so glad you were able to come. You know my son, Lee?"

Hashirama nodded and shook the younger boy's hand.

"Of course, Guy. I would like to introduce you to my granddaughter. Sakura!"

Sakura waved at Guy as she walked over, the 5 Kyubi boys tagging behind.

Guy smiled.

"Ah, you've brought the boys as well. They're all the same age as my Lee right?"

Lee's eyes widened as he took in Sakura. When she came over, he immediately grabbed her hands.

"Sakura-san, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Lee and I would like to get to know you better," Lee said with a huge grin on his face.

"Huh?" Suigetsu said.

Sasuke scowled.

"You. Get your hands off her."

Lee raised an eyebrow and turned to Sakura.

"Boyfriend?"

Sakura turned crimson.

"Ah, he's-"

Hashirama laughed loudly.

"Uchiha is just Sakura's _bodyguard_. Forgive him if he seems overprotective, it's supposed to be his job you see," Hashirama said, eyeing Sasuke knowingly. "Now, you lot. Get the bags. Lee will show you your rooms."

* * *

Sasuke absolutely hated where he had to sleep. He didn't mind sleeping with the other Kyubi boys but they had been forced to bunk with Lee who was currently snoring thunderously, rivalling Naruto. Suigetsu had rolled over to his futon and Sasuke pushed him away. He was squeezed between the former and Sai.

Sasuke groaned into his pillow. Hashirama had informed them before they went for bed that they would be waking up at 8 in the morning to help Guy with the setting up of a new dojo. Sasuke didn't care that he had to work during the holidays; it was more the reason why he had to do all these that bothered him. He hated that he wasn't the one who had saved Sakura. He hated that it had been the members of Akatsuki. He hated that Sakura's smile now also belonged to Sasori. Sasuke clenched his fists and closed his eyes.

The sound of a phone vibrating made Sasuke open his eyes. Once he saw the text, he immediately sat up and left the room.

Sakura's heart would not stop pounding. She was sitting on a bench a few metres away from the house. She had texted Sasuke, asking if they could talk. It had been a long shot that he would reply, considering it was 2 in the morning but when he had texted back saying he would be out in 5 minutes, her heart had not stopped racing. Truthfully, she didn't know what she could get out him. She knew Sasuke didn't like talking about his own personal matters and she didn't want to force him if he didn't want to say anything. But, she couldn't stand seeing him so out of it. She wanted to give him her support, even if he ended up just pushing her away.

* * *

The wind blew and Sakura shivered. She was wearing her night dress and sandals. She hadn't expected the night to get so cold so she hadn't thought of bringing a jacket.

"Hey," Sasuke said, breaking the silence of the night. He sat down next to her.

Sakura smiled.

"Hey," she repeated.

Sasuke turned to her and frowned.

"Aren't you cold?"

Sakura shook her head but her shiver gave her away. Sasuke chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. Sakura almost gasped.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura noted how close he was. She could feel his warm breath on her cheeks- which were already hot. She longed to rest her head on where the crook of his neck was.

"I know you'll say it's not any of my business but I just… I just wanted to know why you've been so distant ever since that incident. If it was me, I'm sorry. I would never hurt you."

Sakura hadn't meant to say the last sentence out loud but she couldn't help it. It was how she truly felt. Sasuke remained silent and Sakura continued.

"That guy… Itachi… Is he someone you know?"

Sakura felt Sasuke's grip on her tighten and she bit her lip. She pulled on his shirt when he still didn't speak and Sasuke sighed.

"Sakura-sama. You're right to say that I do feel that it's not any of your business. I just don't want you getting involved in any of the… bad things in my life. I don't want you worrying for me, okay?"

"Sasuke-kun, I… care about you. I hate that you're upset about something and there's nothing I can do. You've always been there for me and I want to do the same. Please, let me in…" Sakura said, looking up to Sasuke, blushing.

Sasuke took one look at Sakura and looked away. He couldn't look at her. Because he knew if he did, he would tell her anything. He felt her pulling on his shirt again and he closed his eyes.

Sakura frowned.

"Sasuke-kun…" she said, softly.

Sasuke groaned internally. He opened his eyes and shook his head at her.

"You're annoying, you know that?" he said, smirking.

Sakura's eyes widened and Sasuke laughed.

"I'm joking."

He felt her heave a sigh of relief and for a moment, her face touched the crook of his neck. It felt almost like a nuzzle.

"I felt useless. I'm supposed to protect you and I failed. I panicked, when I went into the cafeteria and saw that you weren't there. We waited for a few minutes, thinking you were just talking to a teacher or had gone to the washroom. But when you still hadn't come, we decided to look for you. When we asked around, no one had seen you."

"When we finally found you at the courtyard, I was relieved but also, I was angry. I should have been the one that had saved you, not them. I felt horrible. If I had been paying attention, all of that wouldn't have even happened."

Sasuke sighed.

"So many feelings came to me. I was angry, but I was also afraid. Hashirama-sama had told me that no harm was to come to you and I was scared… because I didn't want to stop protecting you. I was afraid he would give that task to someone else after he knew that I failed to protect you. I wouldn't have been able to accept that."

"As for Itachi, he… well, he's my brother. But, I don't want to talk about it-"

"But-"

"For now. Please."

Sakura stared at Sasuke. She had never seen him so… vulnerable. He had withdrawn one of his arms from her so that he could cover his eyes. Sakura pried them away gently and held his face.

"Sasuke-kun, I…" Sakura said, blushing furiously. "I…"

Sasuke touched her lips and Sakura stopped.

"Shall we go to bed?"

Sakura's eyes widened.

"Huh? Wha-"

Sasuke arched his eyebrow and laughed upon realising what Sakura had thought he meant.

"I mean, well it's late and I have to work tomorrow."

Sakura nodded furiously and mumbled a "good night" before quickly running back into the house.

Sasuke stared at her retreating figure and ran a hand through his hair.

"What am I doing?"

* * *

A/N: I wasn't planning on ending the chapter here but I figured it would have been better to continue the next day's events on another chapter. Does Sasuke really like Sakura? Or is he just being an overly nice guy? Read more to find out. See you guys in the next chapter!


	6. Chapter 6: Party

**Your Heart in My Hand**

* * *

 **A/N:** 23 July 2017By the time I post this, this will be irrelevant but it's currently Sasuke's birthday as I'm writing this. Happy Birthday Sasuke-kun!

 **A little warning:** This fic is an **AU** so characters will definitely be **OOC**.

Without further ado, enjoy the sixth chapter of **Your Heart in My Hand**.

Inspired by Fujiwara Kiyo's Wild Ones.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Party**

* * *

Sakura could not stop smiling to herself as she thought of last night. She was currently eating Blue Seal ice cream while staring at the ocean. Her floral maxi dress flapped around her ankles.

"Sakura-san?" Lee said, suddenly appearing behind her- he had also bought himself a cone of ice cream.

Sakura almost dropped her ice cream. She had chosen her flavour first and had gotten out of the shop to admire the view. Lee had insisted on them coming here first thing in the morning. When she woke up, her ji-san had informed her that Sasuke and the other Kyubi boys had gone on to the dojo to help with the setting up.

"Why are you smiling to yourself?" Lee inquired, putting his face right at Sakura's.

"Eh? Lee-san!" Sakura gasped, gently pushing him away with her one free hand. "It's nothing."

Lee arched his eyebrow.

"Thinking about Uchiha-san?"

"WHAT?" Sakura answered, a little too loudly.

Lee leaned away and chuckled as Sakura blushed furiously and bit her lip.

Sakura shook her head.

"I'm not… I don't… I mean…"

Lee laughed.

"Hey, it's okay. I was just joking..."

Sakura sighed in relief. There was an awkward silence between them.

Lee cleared his throat.

"Erm, Sakura-san?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm having a get-together with some of my friends tonight. I've asked your ji-chan and he said it was alright for you to go… So… Would you? As my date?"

Sakura knew where Lee was going. She didn't want to give him false hopes but she also didn't want to break his heart- he seemed like a really nice guy.

"I wouldn't mind going as your friend, if you don't mind?" Sakura said, carefully.

Lee's frowned for a second but then broke into a smile.

"Of course I don't mind. We have to get to know each other first before we take things to the next level yes?"

Huh? Before Sakura could rebut, Lee walked away.

"Come on, I promised you a tour of the island didn't I?"

* * *

Suigetsu pouted.

"I am not happy about this."

Neji rolled his eyes.

"Stop complaining."

The boys were taking a break. They had been setting up the dojo since morning and they were tired.

"It's fucking hot. Even without a shirt, it's like a sauna in here," Suigetsu groaned, lying down on the floor of the dojo.

Sasuke slapped his chest.

"We should be counting our blessings. We were let off with such a light punishment."

Naruto nodded.

"Sasuke's right. Let's just get this over and done with."

* * *

Dusk was approaching and Sakura and Lee were currently on their way home. Lee had wanted to take Sakura to the Churaumi Aquarium but Sakura had insisted on not going. Lee had shrugged and agreed without question. Sakura was glad she insisted; she knew Sasuke had a free day tomorrow and she was hoping they could go together. She wanted him to at least have fond memories while on this trip.

Lee stopped the car right in front of the house and Sakura looked out the window to see the Kyubi boys playing with a frisbee.

Sakura giggled as Naruto was hit in the face while trying to catch the frisbee thrown by Sai.

"Naruto-kun, are you okay?"

The Kyubi boys stopped playing and turned their heads to the sound of the voice.

Naruto grinned.

"Sakura-sama! You're back! You just missed my awesome catch."

Sakura giggled.

"It must have been a really good one, huh?"

Naruto chuckled, shrugging.

Lee put his arm around Sakura's shoulder.

"We'll leave at 7pm for the party alright?"

Sakura laughed nervously and gently tore Lee's hands away.

"Erm, yeah."

Neji arched his eyebrow.

"What party is he talking about Sakura-sama?"

Lee spoke before Sakura could answer.

"Sakura and I will be going to my friend's party later. She's agreed to go as my date," Lee said, turning to Sasuke, who was expressionless.

Sakura frowned.

"Hey! Lee-san! I said I was going as your friend, _not_ your date."

Lee laughed and shook his head before walking away.

Suigetsu sighed.

"What the fuck is that guy's problem? Is he bothering you?"

Sakura shook her head and Suigetsu arched his eyebrow.

"You sure? Maybe we should come to this party with you, eh?"

Sai rolled his eyes.

"You just want to check out the girls who might be at the party, you bastard."

Suigetsu smirked.

"Well…" Suigetsu dragged, suddenly hugging Sakura from behind. "Still, Sakura-sama is the only one for me."

Sakura blushed. Suigetsu wasn't wearing a shirt.

Sasuke grabbed Saukra's arm and pulled her into his embrace.

"Fuck off, Suigetsu."

Neji arched an eyerbrow while Naruto and Sai laughed.

Sakura couldn't believe she hadn't thought of this. She gently tore Sasuke's arms away and ran into the house.

Suigetsu smirked and turned to Sasuke.

"Looks like she's not that into you."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

* * *

Lee frowned as he looked into his rear-view mirror. Naruto was sitting beside him in the passenger's seat, asking him about the kinds of ramen served in Okinawa. Suigetsu, Sai and Neji were currently engaged in a conversation about the latest chapter in a manga they read. Lee's right eye twitched when his vision rested on the final pair at the back row of his 7 seater. Sakura and Sasuke were both staring into each other's eyes as they spoke- Lee couldn't hear about what over the noise. Sasuke would occasionally brush the stray hair that came onto Sakura's face as her messy bun came loose and in turn, Sakura would blush; especially so at times when he would linger his finger on her cheeks.

Lee's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. He hadn't expected Hashirama to agree to allow the Kyubi boys to come along to the party. He had thought that because the boys were being punished that Hashirama would forbade them. But when Sakura had batted her eyelashes and pouted, Hashirama had agreed immediately. The boys had been ecstatic. Lee on the other hand, not so much. It wasn't that he hated the boys- he just didn't feel much for one of them. Lee could see how much Sakura liked the black haired Uchiha- she absolutely adored him.

As for Uchiha liking Sakura… Lee could tell he held her in high regards and cared for her a lot but it could be because he was her bodyguard. He knew that Hashirama would never allow a member of his gang to date Sakura and he was sure Sasuke knew that. Maybe, if Lee could find a way to show Sakura that she could never be together with Sasuke…

The party was already in full force when they arrived. The boys gawked when they saw Sakura. She was wearing a long denim maxi skirt with an oversized grey 3 quarter sleeves tucked into her skirt. On her feet, she wore simple black sandals.

Sasuke stayed behind with Sakura when the boys separated to grab some food- he could see that most of the guys were eyeing Sakura up and down and he didn't like it.

"Sakura-sama, would you-"

Before he could complete his sentence, Lee grabbed Sakura's hand.

"Sakura-san, come, I want to introduce you to my friends!"

"Ah, Lee-san, wait, I-"

Sasuke stared at their retreating figures and glared at Lee. He knew the guy had feelings for Sakura. He was tempted to follow them but he didn't want to. He wanted Sakura to socialise more; he knew she had been friendless almost all her life. A part of him hated that she was going to grow closer to others but he also didn't want to spoil her chances of gaining new friends. He sighed and headed to where the rest of the Kyubi boys were.

* * *

"Man, the girls here are all so not my type," Suigetsu grumbled.

Neji smirked.

"I thought all girls were your type?"

Suigetsu rolled his eyes.

"Hell no. But if the girls were to look like Sakura-sama..."

Suigetsu quickly turned to block Sasuke's hit but nothing happened.

The Kyubi boys looked at each other.

"Hey, Sasuke, you okay?" Naruto asked, putting a hand on the black haired male's shoulder.

"Hmm," Sasuke answered, monotonously.

Neji arched his eyebrow and glanced over at Sakura who was now talking to some of Lee's friends. He sighed. He needed to speak to Sasuke later.

"Wow, Lee, your future girlfriend is so beautiful," A girl named Ten Ten said.

Sakura laughed nervously.

"Ah, no. I'm not Lee-san's girlfriend. We're just friends."

Ten Ten giggled.

"That's why I said _future_ , silly."

Sakura frowned.

Ten Ten continued.

"Anyway, Sakura, could you do me a solid and introduce me to the brown long haired guy with the beautiful lavender eyes? I would really like to meet him."

Sakura arched her eyebrow.

"Neji-kun? Erm, sure I guess…"

Ten Ten squealed in delight and quickly dragged her friends off to the toilet.

Lee shrugged.

"I'm sorry. I guess Ten Ten was kinda rude."

Sakura's eyes widened and she shook her head.

"It was okay, really."

Lee smiled in relief, turning away from Sakura.

"Plus, I know I'm not the one you want to be with," He whispered.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that," Sakura said.

"Ah, nothing. Shall we head over to where your boys are? I want to make sure Ten Ten doesn't make a fool of herself," Lee said, pointing at Ten Ten, who was now talking to Neji.

Sakura nodded eagerly and they both headed for the Kyubi boys.

"So, Neji, are you currently seeing anyone?" Ten Ten asked, leaning in.

Neji glared at Ten Ten and stepped back slightly.

"I don't think it's any of your business," Neji said coldly.

Ten Ten flinched.

Suigetsu laughed.

"Wow, Neji. A girl's finally interested in you and all you can say is that?"

Neji ignored Suigetsu and excused himself to go to the bathroom.

Ten Ten's shoulder slumped. Her friend patted her shoulder.

"Why not follow him?" She suggested.

Ten Ten's eyes lit up and she quickly ran in the direction of the bathroom.

When Lee and Sakura joined the rest, Sakura's eyes fell on Sasuke immediately. His eyes met hers and she blushed. He was staring at her so intensely.

Before she could say anything, Sasuke spoke.

"Sakura-sama, would you like to take a walk?"

Sakura's heart almost fell out.

"Yes I would love to!" She said, a bit too loudly.

Sasuke chuckled and took her hand. Lee grabbed her other one.

"Wait. Sakura-san's here as my date."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Sakura-sama, would you like to stay with Lee or go on a walk with me?"

Sakura blushed and freed her hand from Lee's.

"I'm sorry Lee-san but I'll be going on a walk with Sasuke-kun," Sakura said apologetically.

Lee frowned and nodded.

"Alright."

A ghost of a smirk hung on Sasuke's face and he led Sakura away.

Sakura wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. The night had come and the wind was chilly. Sasuke chuckled and pulled Sakura into his arms. Sakura turned crimson. She didn't think she was so lucky to have experienced this twice.

"Were you enjoying the party?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke frowned.

"It's too noisy. Plus, everyone here is annoying."

Sakura giggled. She had expected Sasuke to have that exact reaction. She took in the comfort of the silence between them before suddenly remembering what she had wanted to ask Sasuke.

"Erm, Sasuke-kun?"

"Yes, Sakura-sama?"

Sakura took a deep breath before she spoke again.

"Well, I know you have a free day tomorrow so I was wondering if you would like to go to the Churaumi Aquarium with me tomorrow?"

Sasuke arched an eyebrow.

"I mean, we could go with the boys as well if you didn't want it to be just me," Sakura quickly added.

Sasuke smirked.

"I think I would prefer for it to be just us, don't you?"

Sakura felt the heat rise to her cheeks and she nodded.

"I would love that."

* * *

A/N: Neji x Ten Ten shippers are going to hate me for this chapter but I have to be honest, I'm not a fan of that particular ship. Haha. I'm quite excited for the next chapter because it'll be filled with SasuSaku goodness so please look forward to that. See you guys next time!


	7. Chapter 7: Her Feelings

**Your Heart in My Hand**

* * *

 **A/N:** Hello guys, I'm back with another chapter haha. I was pretty excited to write this and I'm sorry this came so late. I was in a circumstance where I couldn't really write. Also, there were some serious writer's block lol.

\- I realised that I never really answer your questions in my notes so I decided to this time.

\- I guess some of you are curious as to why I made Suigetsu's relationship as it is with Sakura. I've actually always imagined Suigetsu as a flirt had he been in another universe haha. Plus I think flirtatious Suigetsu is kinda cute. But don't worry, Suigetsu knows when to back down. ;-)

\- As for Gaara… I know some people ship him with Sakura but I don't see it? I don't plan on bringing him into the story but we shall see.

\- I've always found Sasuke being jealous cute as he rarely ever shows any other emotion aside from the few he has. As for why I haven't had any girls chase after him… Personally, I don't think Sasuke cares? Which is why I've never had him mention any of such matters? But of course, we all know he brings the girls to the yard.

\- HAHAHAHA, I was so afraid I was going to get flamed for hating on Neji x TenTen but honestly I don't see it? Like I think Neji only sees her as a friend and vice versa.

 **A little warning:** This fic is an **AU** so characters will definitely be **OOC**.

Without further ado, enjoy the seventh chapter of **Your Heart in My Hand**.

Inspired by Fujiwara Kiyo's Wild Ones.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Her Feelings**

* * *

Sasuke ran a hand through his raven coloured hair. He was wearing a plain black pull over under an oversized white t-shirt and black jeans. When he looked into the mirror, a grinning face stared back at him. He shook his head and rolled his eyes. This was _so_ not him. He stopped smiling and took a deep breath before going out of the toilet. A figure was standing beside the door.

Sasuke was just about to walk away when Neji called out to him.

"Sasuke, wait."

Sasuke turned.

"What?"

"Can we talk?" Neji said, closing the distance.

Sasuke frowned.

"Now's not exactly the time. I'm heading out with Sakura-sama."

Neji frowned.

"That's exactly why we have to talk."

* * *

Sakura twirled in front of the mirror and sighed. No matter how many times she looked, she didn't think she looked nice and would want to change. Normally, she wasn't this indecisive but considering that this time was special, she had wanted to look her best. Our first date, she thought. No, she shook head. Not a date. After all, he was only her bodyguard. After all, her feelings were unrequited.

She had decided on a navy and white striped dress which she wore with an oversized denim jacket. A pair of navy thigh high socks complimented her look. Her hair was tied into twin French braids.

A knock came and Hashirama walked in. He smiled at her warmly.

"Sakura! You look beautiful. Going out with Lee again?"

Oh no.

"Erm, no. I'm heading out by myself today."

Hashirama raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Are you familiar enough with the island?"

Sakura smiled nervously.

"I'm actually just heading to one location. The Churaumi Aquarium."

"Lee's not going with you?" Hashirama asked.

Sakura shook her head and Hashirama was silent for a moment.

When he spoke again, Sakura held her breath.

"Well, if that's so, bring Uchiha with you. I don't want you alone without anyone."

Sakura let out a sigh of relief and stopped herself from breaking out into a smile.

"As you wish ji-chan."

* * *

"So you understand, you have to stop whatever you're doing," Neji said.

Sasuke stared at Neji.

"I'm not doing anything."

Neji sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Sasuke, please. Stop being so stubborn."

"I'm not being stubborn."

Neji growled.

"Yes you are! Look, I saw you and Sakura-sama the night before the party. I had gotten up to go to the toilet and I noticed you were missing. When I went out to the porch, I saw the both of you on the bench. Tell me then, was that nothing?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"It's none of your business."

Neji glared at Sasuke.

"It's my business if it's going to get you kicked out from the gang. We don't want that for you. You know Hashirama-sama's going to freak out when he finds out you've been getting unnecessarily close to his granddaughter. I don't know what you're playing at but please stop. We care for you and we don't want to see you go."

Sasuke stayed silent.

Neji's eyes softened.

"I think it's pretty obvious that Sakura-sama's affection for you isn't platonic so please, for the sake of your friends and her, stop giving her false hopes."

Sasuke could only stare.

* * *

Sakura fiddled with her thumbs as she sat on her bed. A knock on her door made her jump and she cleared her throat before she answered.

"Ah, yes? You can come in."

Lee's head poked through the gap and he broke into a grin.

"Wow, Sakura-san! You look beautiful! Are we heading somewhere today?"

Sakura laughed nervously and shook her head.

"Sorry Lee-san but I'll be going out with Sasuke-kun today."

Lee clenched his fist.

"Where are you guys heading to? I didn't know Uchiha-san was familiar with Okinawa."

"We'll be going to Churaumi Aquarium. Well, he's not; I did some research and found a bus that would take us there."

Lee pouted.

"I could have brought you there, you know."

Sakura looked down at the floor, slightly guilty before smiling at Lee.

"We could go get more Blue Seal ice cream tomorrow?" She suggested.

Lee laughed and ran to hug Sakura.

"Thank you so much, Sakura-san! It's my treat tomorrow!" Lee said while hugging Sakura tightly.

Sakura giggled and hit Lee gently on his back.

"Hey! I can't breathe!"

A loud knock on the door made the both of them stop.

Sasuke glared at Lee.

"Get the fuck off her," Sasuke growled.

Lee flinched and released Sakura from his grip. He gave Sakura one last grin and walked out of the room.

Sasuke's gaze softened immediately when he spoke to Sakura.

"Shall we go?" He said, extending a hand.

Sakura smiled and nodded, taking his hand.

* * *

Sakura took in the view from the bus window and sighed. It was beautiful. She turned and peeked through her lashes at the raven haired male beside her. Sasuke looked every bit the perfection he was. His long eyelashes were even more obvious from where Sakura could see and his face was bathed in sunlight from the morning sun. Sakura's gaze moved to his lips. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to hold him. But she could not. She bit her lip and looked away.

* * *

Sakura waited at the side as Sasuke bought the tickets for the aquarium. He motioned for her to come to where he was and they both entered the aquarium. Sakura's eyes widened. It was packed. Sasuke frowned as he took in her crestfallen face and took her hand.

"We should hold hands in case we get separated," Sasuke said with a wink.

Sakura blushed. When he held her hand he gave it a squeeze.

* * *

Naruto rubbed his eyes as he sat up from his futon. He smiled to himself, realising it was his free day today. He should get the boys together and explore the island, he thought.

"You're finally awake," Sai muttered, drawing in his sketchbook as he lay on his futon.

Naruto grinned.

"Morning! Hey, since we have the day off, shall we explore the island?"

Just as Sai was about to answer, Neji walked in and groaned loudly.

Naruto and Sai exchanged looks.

"What's up?" Sai asked, closing his sketchbook and sitting up.

Neji sighed.

"It's nothing."

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, right. Anyway, as I was saying, we boys should explore the island today yeah? Since we're free," Naruto said, excitedly.

"I'm up for it as long as we get to check out the local girls," Suigetsu said, coming into the room.

Sai rolled his eyes and looked around the room, realising something.

"Where's Sasuke?" He asked, staring at everyone.

"Oh, he's out on a date with Sakura-sama," Neji answered, matter-of-factly.

Naruto's eyes widened.

"What?!"

* * *

Sasuke leaned against the wall next to the jellyfish tank and rolled his eyes. Naruto had been texting him non-stop and Sasuke had refused to acknowledge them. Furrowing his eyebrows, he turned on the 'Do Not Disturb' function on his iPhone and placed it back into his pocket. A tug on his sleeve made him turn.

"Sasuke-kun?"

Emerald eyes met his and Sasuke smiled.

"What's wrong? You look annoyed," Sakura asked, worry filling her face.

Sasuke shook his head and took Sakura's hand.

"It's nothing. Shall we continue?"

Sakura nodded eagerly and Sasuke laughed.

* * *

Sakura grinned to herself. She couldn't believe she was having such a great time with Sasuke. He had gone to get some food and she was currently sitting on a bench waiting for him. She blushed as she recalled last night's encounter. She cupped her cheeks as she remembered when she lay on the crook of his neck. She couldn't believe she had been so bold. She closed her eyes and sighed.

A buzz from her phone made Sakura open her eyes. Multiple texts filled her iPhone's screen as she opened the group chat she, Ino and Hinata had made.

Ino: _I hope your DATE is going well. ;)_

Hinata: _Sakura-chan I'm so happy for you! :)_

Ino: _TELL HIM HOW YOU FEEL!_

Hinata: _Ino-chan!_

Sakura smiled as she read through their messages and started typing.

Sakura: _Guys, thank you so much for the encouragement but it's not a date. Sasuke's just my bodyguard and well… as much as I like him, I don't think he feels the same way._

Ino: _Sakura,_ please _. I've never seen Sasuke so invested in a girl's welfare the whole time I've known him. I know, you're going to talk about the bodyguard crap again but that's not really it is it? I've seen the way he looks at you. Be brave!_

Hinata: _Ino-chan is right, Sakura-chan. Take me for example- if I hadn't plucked up the courage and told Naruto-kun how I felt, I would have never known he felt the same way. I know Sasuke-kun won't let you down._

Sakura stared at Hinata's message and brought her phone to her chest. She could feel her heart beating strongly. She knew she had to eventually face reality and suffer the heartbreak she knew was coming. Maybe this _was_ the right time to tell him how she felt…

"Sakura-sama, I'm back with the food," Sasuke said, his face inches from hers.

Sakura gasped and dropped her phone. She widened her eyes and picked it up immediately, turning away from Sasuke at the same time.

"Are you alright?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura smiled nervously and nodded.

"Yes. Sorry, I was just thinking…"

Sasuke raised his eyebrow.

"Of?"

Sakura closed her eyes and shook her head.

"It's, erm, nothing. Shall we eat?"

Sasuke nodded slowly and took out 2 bentos he had purchased from the food stall.

"I hope this is okay. It's a bit simple though," Sasuke said, passing her 1 box.

Sakura smiled.

"It's alright. Looks good!"

Sasuke returned her smile and they both tucked in.

They were both quiet as they ate. Sakura couldn't help thinking while silence ruled over both of them. She thought about the pros and cons of telling Sasuke her feelings and imagined every scenario possible. Realisation suddenly hit her. Why hadn't she thought of this before? She had been so preoccupied about her own feelings that she hadn't thought about his at all. She silently chided herself.

After a few moments, Sakura decided to speak what was on her mind.

"Erm, Sasuke-kun, could I ask you a question?" She said, softly.

Sasuke nodded.

"Sure."

"How is it that you've never had a girlfriend? Or, do you have someone you like? I mean, Naruto-kun and Sai-kun do and it's not like you're a bad person," She said, while still eating. "You're smart, gentlemanly, very handsome…"

Sasuke chuckled.

"Well, I guess I hadn't found the right girl yet, till now."

Sakura felt her chest tightened but continued.

"So you do like someone. Who…Who… who is she?" She asked, trying her best to keep her face neutral.

Sasuke smirked and held a hand out, reaching for her face.

Sakura widened her eyes.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"There's something on your lip," He said.

"Huh?"

Sasuke grinned and removed the rice grain off her lip. Sakura felt her heart pounding. His finger lingered on her lip and Sakura stared into his black orbs.

"Sasuke-kun?" She repeated.

Saying nothing, he reached for her cheek and caressed it. Sakura leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. Tears dripped down her face and Sasuke stopped. He wiped away her tears, alarmed.

"What's wrong? Sakura-sama?"

"I can't," She said turning away from him.

"Sakura-sama? Tell me. What's wrong?" Sasuke insisted, grabbing her shoulders and gently turning her around. "Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry. I won't touch your cheek ever again. Please, say something."

Sakura sighed in frustration and wiped her tears away roughly.

"That's not it!" She shouted.

Sasuke's eyes widened, shocked by her outburst.

Suddenly realising that many people were staring, Sakura apologised and continued, softly.

"That's not it, alright. I… I love your touches. I love everything about you. And yes, I know, I'll always just be the person you've been forced to protect and look after but that's not it. I've loved you ever since we met and it's been such a torture keeping it inside, knowing you don't feel the same," She said, stopping to take a breath. Sasuke opened his mouth to speak but she stopped him and continued.

"It's not fair that you always tease me because to me, they were more than tease- they were so, so much more. And yes, I know, I'm an idiot to just suddenly blurt out my feelings like this while we're out but I just couldn't hold it in anymore."

Sasuke looked down at his hands.

"Sakura-sama, I…" He started.

Sakura shook her head.

"Please, if you don't feel the same way, please stop giving me all these false hopes. I know I've made this trip awkward so come on, let's go home," She said, standing to leave.

"Wait, Sakura-sama," Sasuke called out, grabbing Sakura's wrist to stop her.

Sakura sniffed and turned.

"What?"

Sasuke looked away and Sakura's eyes widened as she took in the red now tinting his cheeks.

"Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke cleared his throat.

"Wait, please don't go." He said, staring into her eyes.

"Okay," Sakura said, sitting back down next to him.

Sasuke closed his eyes and loosened his grip on her wrists.

"I have something to say as well," He said, serious written all over his face.

* * *

A/N: Will Sasuke reject Sakura or will he reciprocate her feelings? Unrequited love really is an awful feeling isn't it? I had a really hard time writing this because I didn't want to stick to the clichéd first date scenario but I guess it went that way HAHA. Anyway, please look forward to the next chapter! Once again, I'm sorry this one was so late.


	8. Chapter 8: I'm Not In Love

**Your Heart in My Hand**

* * *

 **A/N:** Hey guys. I'm back. I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who continued to read even though I hadn't posted in so long. I've been really busy juggling between inktober and work so I'm sorry that this is super late.

 **Flashbacks will be in italics.**

 **A little warning:** This fic is an **AU** so characters will definitely be **OOC**.

Without further ado, enjoy the eighth chapter of **Your Heart in My Hand**.

Inspired by Fujiwara Kiyo's Wild Ones.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter 8: I'm not in love**

* * *

Naruto scowled as Sasuke entered the room.

"Sasuke," Naruto growled. "Welcome back."

Ignoring the blonde, Sasuke sat on his futon and closed his eyes.

"Oi, Uchiha Sasuke! I said, welcome back," Naruto shouted into Sasuke's ear.

Opening his eyes, Sasuke glared at Naruto who shrank back immediately.

"Shut. Up." Sasuke muttered.

Mustering his courage, Naruto spoke again.

"So, I heard you were on a _date_ with Sakura-sama. Mind telling us about that _date_?"

Sai nodded.

"Naruto's right, Sasuke. What's up with you and Sakura-sama?"

Sasuke sighed.

"It wasn't a date. I was just accompanying her to the aquarium. I'm sure Neji _loved_ telling you it was a date," Sasuke said, rolling his eyes.

"At least that's all I said," Neji mumbled to himself.

Suigetsu raised an eyebrow.

"Sasuke, please tell me you're not in love with our princess. I mean, you know Hashirama-sama will lose his shit when he finds out you're making a move on his precious granddaughter," Suigetsu said.

Neji nodded.

"I've told him that. He didn't listen, as usual."

Sasuke groaned.

"Look, I don't need this now. I'm exhausted. Tomorrow's our last night on the island and I'm pretty sure Hashirama-sama will want us to do extra work before we leave."

"Exhausted from the making out I suppose," Suigetsu said, smirking.

"Fuck off," Sasuke growled, throwing a pillow at Suigetsu. Lying face first into his futon, he bit his lip hard.

Sakura sunk further into the bathtub and sighed, causing bubbles in the water. She knew she had to get out of the bathtub soon but she didn't want to. She wanted to be alone and she didn't want anyone asking her about her puffy, red eyes. She whimpered quietly as she clutched her heart, remembering what had happened.

* * *

" _Wait, please don't go." He said, staring into her eyes._

" _Okay," Sakura said, sitting back down next to him._

 _Sasuke closed his eyes and loosened his grip on her wrists._

" _I have something to say as well," He said, serious written all over his face._

 _Sakura nodded and lowered her eyes._

 _Sasuke bit his lip and ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know what to say._

" _I… I… Sakura… Sakura-sama, I…" He stammered._

 _Sakura peeked through her eyelashes to stare at Sasuke._

" _Sasuke-kun? Are you okay?" She asked._

 _Nodding slowly, Sasuke tried again to speak._

" _Sakura-sama… I… Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"He groaned._

 _Worried, Sakura touched his hand, causing him to look up._

" _Sasuke-kun?" She repeated._

 _Clutching her hand, Sasuke sighed deeply._

" _Sakura-sama, I really appreciate your feelings for me and I… I really… I want to… But," Sasuke said, stopping to look into Sakura's eyes. "But… I'm sorry. I can't return your feelings."_

 _Sakura felt her heart break into a million pieces and she couldn't help but let out a sob. She quickly spun herself around and bit her lips. Tears had started to stream uncontrollably down her face._

" _We should go," Sakura said, standing up. She quickly walked ahead, leaving a guilt-ridden Sasuke._

* * *

The car ride home was quiet. Sakura hadn't said anything when Sasuke sat next to her. During their last few hours in Okinawa, she had tried to avoid him as much as possible. But she might as well have been avoiding breathing- he was _supposed_ to follow her around. He was supposed to _protect_ her. He was her _bodyguard_ after all.

When they arrived home, she immediately picked up her bag and was prepared to go back to her room when Hashirama stopped her.

"Wait, Sakura. Leave your bag. I'll get Uchiha to bring it to your room." He said, gesturing at Sasuke to pick up the bag.

Sakura's eyes widened.

"Erm, wait!" She called out and everyone froze. Her ji-chan looked at her, confused.

Sakura laughed nervously.

"Ah, erm, is it alright if Suigetsu helps me instead?"

Before anyone could respond, Suigetsu picked up Sakura's bags and headed for her room. Smiling apologetically at her ji-chan, she quickly followed in Suigetsu's footsteps.

When Sakura entered her room, she found Suigetsu sitting on the floor. He gave Sakura a gentle smile and gestured for her to sit on her study chair. Sakura obliged.

Suigetsu cleared his throat and spoke.

"So, I'm not going to pretend that nothing happened. I noticed that you were acting pretty weird during our last day in Okinawa."

When Sakura said nothing, Suigetsu continued.

"I heard from Neji that you and Sasuke went on a date. Does that have anything to do with your behaviour?"

Sakura blushed and peeked at Suigetsu through her lashes. He was currently sitting cross legged and staring at her. The usual glint of mischief in his eyes were gone, replaced by a surprisingly serious expression,

Sakura gulped and started to speak.

"It… it wasn't exactly a date. I just wanted to go to the aquarium, that's all."

Suigetsu arched his eyebrow.

"Really?"

Sakura felt her heart skip a beat. She hadn't realised because he was always smiling but Suigetsu was pretty intimidating.

"You know," He said, "You can tell me, Sakura-sama. I won't tell anyone else. Trust me."

Sakura sighed and shook her head.

"Suigetsu-kun, I'm sorry but I don't want to talk about it."

Suigetsu kept quiet before chuckling.

"Well, alright," Suigetsu said, standing up to leave. "But, if you get bored of Sasuke, I'll have you any time."

Sakura's eyes widened and Suigetsu left, smirking.

* * *

Sakura could hardly sleep. When her alarm rang, she was still wide awake. She had spent the entire time replaying the conversation at the aquarium and crying into her pillow. She rubbed her eyes and winced- they were swollen. She was about to close her eyes again when she heard the familiar knock to her door. Ignoring it, she slowly got up to grab her uniform and went to the door. When she opened it, she felt her heart break a little. He was biting his lips and his black eyes bore into hers. She looked away and was about to walk past him when he blocked her pave with his arm.

"Wait, Sakura-sama. I… I'm sorry. I know I hurt you but I… We can't be together. I would have…"

Sakura put a hand on his arm and slowly pushed it away.

"It's fine. I understand. You don't like me. I get it. I… I have to get ready now," Sakura said, softly.

Taking in her swollen eyes, Sasuke reached for her face. Sakura looked away and walked past him.

"Please, stop," She said.

Sasuke stared at her, his eyes filled with sadness.

The walk to school was filled with silence. Sakura had tried to reduce the swollenness of her eyes but to no avail. She noticed Neji and Suigetsu staring at her more often than usual and her eyes never left the ground while walking. Sasuke had made no attempt to talk to her and she was glad. She couldn't stand being in so close to him; much less talk to him. Naruto was uncharacteristically quiet and the atmosphere was extremely awkward. When they reached the gates, Ino called out to them. Glaring at Sasuke, she quickly gave Sai a kiss on the cheek and dragged Sakura to her class. Hinata smiled apologetically at the boys and followed in their footsteps.

* * *

When the bell rang for lunch, Sakura slumped into her seat. She had no appetite and she was tired of everyone staring at her eyes. When everyone had left the classroom, she placed her face on the table and closed her eyes. A knock to the door came after a few minutes and Sakura felt her heart speed up. Please, she thought, let it not be him. She ignored the knock and continued lying on her desk. When the knocking stopped, she heaved a sigh of relief.

"Sakura?" His deep voice came.

Sakura jolted up and brown eyes met hers. Sasori smiled at her gently.

"Sorry to startle you. I went to the canteen but you weren't there so I decided to come down to the classrooms to look for you," He said.

Sakura looked up from her desk and smiled.

"What's up?" She asked.

"Well," Sasori said, "I just wanted to tell you that we have art club today and I would love for you to come again."

"I know, you texted me that a few days ago," She answered, with a tiny giggle.

Sasori smiled sheepishly and ran a hand through his hair.

"I guess I just wanted to see you then," He whispered.

Sakura widened her eyes and looked away. She could feel her heart thumping.

After a few seconds of silence, Sasori leapt up and walked to the door.

"I'll er, see you later then," He said, inclining his head slightly before leaving.

When Sasori had gone, Sakura shook her head and laid on her desk again. A few minutes passed and Ino's voice rang through the classroom.

"Sakura! There you are! We've been looking all over for you!"

Sakura opened her eyes lazily and sat up. The worried faces of Ino and Hinata stared back at her.

"You weren't there when we came down for lunch and Sasuke-kun said he hadn't seen you so we came here," Hinata said, putting down a yakisoba bread in front of Sakura. "Here, eat this. We thought you might be hungry."

Sakura smiled at Hinata and took the bread.

"Thanks," She said, taking a bite even though she wasn't hungry in the slightest.

It was silent for a moment before Ino spoke.

"Man, I am _so_ pissed at Uchiha. How _dare_ he break your heart!" Ino said, hitting the desk in front of Sakura.

Sakura smiled sadly.

"Well, he's not obliged to… Ino-chan, it's okay. I'll get over this slowly but surely," Sakura replied.

"But I was so sure he liked you!" Ino groaned.

Hinata rubbed Sakura's back and Sakura slumped back onto the desk. She wanted to be alone but she didn't want to say anything.

Seeing Sakura's depressed figure, Ino decided to change the subject.

"So, I saw Sasori-senpai leaving the classroom. What was up with that?"

Not looking up, Sakura replied.

"He just came to tell me that there's art class today."

"Is that a good idea?" Hinata said, carefully.

Sakura raised her head.

"I know you guys probably think badly of Sasori-senpai because of the whole Akatsuki thing but I honestly think he's nice. I mean, he did save me…"

Hinata and Ino exchanged looks.

"Well… Okay. But let us know when you're home," Hinata said.

Nodding, Sakura looked out the window, missing Ino and Hinata's worried faces.

The bell rang and Sakura heaved a sigh of relief. School was finally over and she wanted to do art so badly. She needed it. She quickly packed her bag and left the classroom. She was about to start towards the art room when someone grabbed her hand. When she turned, she flinched and withdrew her hand immediately.

Sasuke looked away and ran a hand through his hair.

"I came to pick you up. Are you ready to go home?"

Sakura bit her lip and turned away.

"You can go ahead, I'm going for Art Club," She said, trying to keep her voice neutral.

Sasuke's eyes widened for a second and he furrowed his eyebrows.

"I thought we agreed that you would stop going for that club," He said.

Sakura shook her head.

"I never agreed. I only said I would think about it and I have. I want to go to Art Club. It makes me happy and that's what I need right now," She said and quickly ran to the classroom.

Sasuke stared at her retreating figure, speechless.

* * *

When Naruto found him, Sasuke was at the dojo. He was punching a sandbag and beads of sweat had formed on his forehead. His uniform was drenched- he hadn't bothered with changing into a gi.

Naruto knocked on the door.

"Hey," He called out.

Sasuke punched the sandbag hard and looked over at Naruto. He furrowed his brow and then went back to punching. Naruto sighed.

"So, what exactly happened that day in Okinawa?"

Ignoring him, Sasuke wiped the beads of sweat off with his sleeve and sat down, taking a drink from his bottle. Sitting beside him, Naruto tried again.

"Are you going to say anything?"

Sasuke said nothing.

"Come on, I'm your best friend. You can tell me," Naruto said, smiling.

Sasuke glared at Naruto.

"We're _not_ best friends," Sasuke muttered.

Naruto chuckled.

"Got you talking," He said.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and Naruto laughed.

"But seriously, though. What happened? We're worried. I know you try to hide it but I know you. Did she… Reject you?" Naruto asked, serious.

Sasuke sighed.

"No, she didn't. I was the one who rejected her."

Naruto's eyes widened.

"Wait, what? Why the hell would you do that?"

Sasuke shook his head.

"I didn't want her to be with someone like me. She deserves better," He said, simply.

Naruto arched his eyebrow. He knew Sasuke wasn't telling him everything.

"And?" Naruto pushed.

Sasuke looked down, his fringe covering his eyes, silent.

Naruto placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"I… I don't want to lose her alright. I know if Hashirama-sama finds out, he'll fuck me up and I'll never see her again. I can't lose her. She's only ever been the one for me. _You_ know that," Sasuke whispered.

Naruto nodded. He knew the extent of Sasuke's feelings for Sakura.

* * *

 _An 11-year-old Sasuke groaned._

" _Why are we here? I don't want to be here," He complained._

 _A grey haired man in his late 20s gave a small tut-tut._

" _Sasuke. We've been given this responsibility by Hashirama-sama and we_ are _going to do it properly," The man said. "It's extremely important to him."_

"But _Kakashi-sensei, I don't want to. A new kid just came in and Neji and Naruto are taking him to the dojo. I want to practise my kicks," Sasuke said, pouting._

 _Kakashi chuckled._

" _If you do this, I'll teach you a new move, alright?"_

 _Sasuke's eyes widened in delight and he nodded eagerly._

 _They were both currently in the ladies department at Takashimaya and were trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Every now and then, a blushing sales lady would approach Kakashi, hoping to be able to assist him._

 _Politely waving off another sales lady, Kakashi moved along the rack of clothing and spotted his target. Tsunade was currently looking at shoes while talking to a young Sakura._

" _There," Kakashi said, pointing Tsunade out to Sasuke. "That's the lady we're supposed to look out for."_

 _Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows._

" _Who is she?" He asked, curious._

 _His sight not leaving Tsunade, Kakashi answered._

" _She's Hashirama-sama's daughter. Hashirama-sama sends us out to check up on her from time to time."_

" _Huh? But why do we have to spy on her? Why isn't she living with Hashirama-sama?"_

 _Kakashi sighed._

" _Don't ask so many questions, Sasuke. Just do your job. Why don't you look out for the girl with the pink hair? She's Hahshirama-sama's granddaughter," Kakashi said, moving along the rack of clothes as Tsunade walked around._

 _Sasuke pouted and turned his attention to the girl. She looked about his age. Her long, pink hair was loose and her fringe touched her eyebrows. When she smiled, Sasuke felt his heart beat increasing. He clutched his chest in horror and quickly ran to where Kakashi was._

* * *

 _Naruto yawned loudly and Sasuke smacked his head._

" _What the fuck?" Naruto cursed, rubbing his head._

" _Shut the fuck up," Sasuke growled. "You're going to mess this up."_

 _Naruto stared at Sasuke and shrugged._

" _Why are you so touchy? Frankly, I'd rather be home. There's going to be a new episode of Ninja Ninja on the TV tonight," Naruto whined._

 _Ignoring him, Sasuke looked ahead. They had both followed Tsunade and Sakura to a café and were currently spying on them through menus._

 _Sakura's hair was tied into a high ponytail and she was wearing a simple black babydoll dress. It had been 4 years since Sasuke last saw her and he could feel his heart beating like a jackhammer. He hadn't been picked for the monthly checks till now and he couldn't believe he was seeing her again._

 _She was talking to Tsunade and they were both laughing about something. When Sakura glanced over for a second, Naruto and Sasuke immediately ducked behind their menus._

" _Oh my god," Naruto whispered._

" _What?" Sasuke demanded._

 _Naruto smirked._

" _You're blushing," He said._

 _Sasuke quickly turned away._

" _I am not," He insisted._

 _Naruto chuckled._

" _You are. My god, do you_ like _her?" He asked._

 _Sasuke was silent. He could feel his cheeks burning._

 _Naruto's smirk widened._

" _Uchiha Sasuke is in love!"_

 _Sasuke glared at Naruto._

" _I am_ not _in love," He growled, but his red cheeks betrayed him._

 _Naruto smiled and looked on at the mother and daughter pair._

* * *

Sasuke kicked at the loose stones on the pavement as he walked back to school. It had been 2 hours and he knew Sakura would be almost done with her club. He didn't want her to walk home alone. It was almost night time and well, he didn't want her to be with that bastard alone.

He was about to walk into the school when he saw them. Sakura was giggling at something Sasori was saying and Sasori was looking at her tenderly.

"Sakura-sama," Sasuke called out.

The pair stopped and Sakura quickly looked down.

Sasori's smile faltered.

"What are you doing here?"

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow.

"I should be asking that," He said.

Sasori eyed Sasuke cooly.

"I'm walking Sakura home." He said.

Sasuke stared daggers at Sasori.

"No you are not," Sasuke said, dragging every word.

Sakura stepped in-between them.

"Stop, the both of you," She said.

Turning to Sasori, she smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, senpai. You don't have to walk me home."

"You sure?" Sasori asked.

"Yes, it's alright," Sakura replied.

Sasori frowned but nodded.

"I understand. See you," He said, touching her arm before he left.

Sasuke growled and Sakura started walking away.

Quickly catching up, Sasuke grabbed Sakura's arm.

"Why did you allow him to walk you back?" He said, furious.

Sakura pulled away and continued walking. Not giving up, Sasuke hugged her from behind. Sakura struggled to get away.

"Let go!" She insisted.

"Why did you allow him to touch you?" Sasuke asked.

She nudged his belly and he let her go. They stared at each other before Sakura turned away. When she looked back at him, tears had already formed in her eyes.

Sasuke closed the distance between them immediately.

"What's wrong?" He asked, anger leaving his face.

Sakura glared at him.

"I've had enough. I know. I know it isn't your fault that you don't feel the same way and I know I can't blame you for that but I had hoped you would be sensitive enough to keep away, to let me heal but you just will not leave me alone," She said, exasperated.

"I can't leave you alone. I'm your bodyguard. I-"

Sakura lifted her hands in front of her and he stopped.

"I know. You're just my bodyguard. Please, just leave me alone for now. If you don't, I'll… request for someone else as my bodyguard."

With that, Sakura walked away.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, that's it for this chapter. Once again, I'm sorry it took so long. Thanks to everyone who has been reading since chapter one, I really appreciate it and to new readers, I hope you're enjoying this so far. I'll be back soon with the next chapter. See you guys then.


	9. Chapter 9: A Proposal

**Your Heart in My Hand**

 **A/N:** Oh my, this is so late but I'm back. Enjoy!

 **A little warning:** This fic is an **AU** so characters will definitely be **OOC**.

Note: Flashbacks in italics.

Without further ado, enjoy the ninth chapter of **Your Heart in My Hand**.

Inspired by Fujiwara Kiyo'sWild Ones.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter 9: A Proposal**

* * *

Sasuke sighed deeply. He couldn't sleep. He groaned and covered his ears, trying to shut out Naruto's loud snoring. He wasn't just suffering from insomnia, he was also extremely angry. He was fuming. He wanted badly to smash Sasori's face. He knew that bastard was up to no good. He hated that Sakura couldn't see that and he hated that Sasori knew that. He closed his eyes forcibly and grunted. It was going to be a long week.

Friday could not arrive faster for Sakura. She had spent the entire week not talking to Sasuke. She couldn't avoid being in his presence obviously but she only spoke to him when she really needed to. It hadn't been particularly difficult. Sasuke had made it all too easy. She knew he was mad at her. She wanted so much to tell him that she did not love Sasori. She laid on the table, smudging the ink on her homework. In truth, she was not over Sasuke. She loved him too much. It hurt her that he didn't love her back. It hurt her that he was angry but there was nothing she could do.

She jolted straight up when a sharp knock came outside her door.

"Come in," She said.

Neji's head poked through the gap.

"Sakura-sama. Hashirama-sama requests your presence in his room."

Sakura arched her eyebrow slightly and nodded slowly. When she was about to walk out the door, Neji grabbed her arm.

"Wait," He said.

Sakura's heart almost stopped. Neji had never spoken to her besides when he needed to.

Neji's eyebrows formed a little 'v' and he reached out for her cheek. Sakura flinched but Neji's hand did not waver.

"You have some ink on your face," Neji said, rubbing off the ink with his thumb.

"Oh," She blushed. "Thank you."

Neji nodded.

"Let's go," He said.

* * *

When Sakura entered his room, Hashirama was seated behind his desk. Dismissing Neji, he gestured for Sakura to sit. Gulping, Sakura took a seat. To her relief, her grandfather was all smiles.

"Sakura, I'm sure you're curious as to why I've summoned you to my room. Please don't be nervous. It's nothing that should bother you," Hashirama said, smiling.

Sakura nodded slowly. For once, she wasn't sure she trusted her grandfather. Bile threatened to rise from her throat and she had to force herself to swallow her saliva multiple times to stop herself from vomiting. She could feel her heart racing and she knew that whatever he was about to say was far from something that "should not bother her".

"I know this is sudden but I was wondering if you could humour your grandfather a little and meet this young, wonderful man I know. He's very smart and about your age. His father is the owner of the Tokyo Academic of Fine Art and I'm sure, as a budding artist yourself, you should know that this is the most prestigious art school in the whole of Japan."

Sakura's lips parted and she suddenly found it hard to breathe. She knew exactly where this was going.

Taking in his granddaughter's troubled expression, Hashirama spoke again.

"It's just a little meeting. He'll be there with his parents and there won't be any obligations. I know you're still studying but I just wanted to ensure that your future is secured. He is a very eligible bachelor and I would definitely approve should the both of you decide to take things further."

Sakura closed her eyes. She could feel the bile again, almost out of her mouth. She almost gagged, forcing herself once again to not vomit. She couldn't believe it. Her grandfather had offered her hand in marriage to a complete stranger without consulting her. She could feel the disappointment and betrayal sink in as her heart stung. She opened her eyes, only for tears to well up. She shut her eyes immediately, not wanting her grandfather to see her cry.

"Sakura…" Hashirama walked over and placed his hand on his granddaughter's shoulder.

Sakura shook her head and offered a weak smile.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry, I was just overwhelmed that's all," She said, placing a reassuring over Hashirama's hand.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Hashirama kneeled.

"I'm glad to hear that. So, will you go? I won't expect much but I'll be happy as long as you attend the meeting," Hashirama said. "Please."

Sakura could feel her heart and brain crossing swords. A part of her did want to go because she wanted to be a good granddaughter and she didn't like seeing her ji-chan sad. Another part of her wanted to run away immediately and never come back. She hated that she had to meet a stranger to discuss a future together- a future she had not asked for. An image of her, not much older than now, slaving over a stove, heavily pregnant came into her mind. She shuddered. She clenched her fist hard, turning her knuckles white. Say no, say no, she repeated in her brain.

"Sakura?"

When she looked at him, all her resolve melted. He was smiling gently, and suddenly, Sakura saw her mother in him. Hashirama's greying black hair turned blonde and the wrinkles around his now light brown eyes were disappearing. Her mother smiled at her, her eyes in a crescent moon shape. She remembered her like it was yesterday.

* * *

" _Mama, look! I drew you!" A 7-year-old Sakura held up a pencil drawing of Tsunade, waving it in front of her._

 _Tsunade chuckled._

" _That's perfect, my darling."_

 _Sakura grinned, her 2 front teeth missing. She waved another piece of paper in front of Tsunade._

" _Look, look. I drew another. You and me," Sakura jumped around._

" _Wow, let me see,"Tsundae reached out and she couldn't help the look of horror on her face._

" _And papa and grandfather!"_

 _Sakura had drawn a total of 4 figures on the paper. The blonde held hands with the pink haired girl, and on Tsunade's right, a man with long black hair was frowning. A man, with grey hair and bangs took Sakura's other hand._

" _What do you think? Mama?" Sakura squealed._

 _Tsunade was stunned, unable to speak. She had never told Sakura about her grandfather and while she had told Sakura about her father, she had never shown her a photo. She figured Sakura must have gone through her things and saw the photos of the two men in her drawing. A painful memory appeared in Tsunade's mind and she tried to shoo it away. Her husband was smiling at her, his bangs almost covering his eyes. He placed a hand on her swollen belly and kissed it. Tsunade couldn't bare it. He had died, in a car accident while he was on a business trip. Tsunade unconsciously started twirling her wedding band around her finger. She stopped when she noticed Sakura staring at her, worried._

" _Mama? Did I do something wrong?"_

 _Tsunade wiped the horrified expression off her face and smiled at Sakura, petting her head._

" _No, nothing is wrong. Why don't you put it on the fridge with the other drawings?"_

* * *

Sakura looked away from Hashirama and forced herself not to tear up. She knew her grandfather only had her best interests in his heart but she still couldn't help feeling annoyed and frustrated by his request. She wanted to tell him that she didn't need to do whatever he said because he was technically, still a stranger. He had been absent from her life for the past 16 years and had done nothing to help her mother, who raised her on her own. She wanted to say no and to tell him she didn't have to listen to a stranger but she was also appreciative that he had taken her in and given her the opportunity to study in a school. She knew her grandfather cared for her mother and she knew he cared for her. She just didn't like that he had taken to controlling this aspect of her life. There was only one man she had ever considered marrying and he didn't love her.

Sighing internally, she placed both her hands on Hashirama's shoulder and smiled, though it did not reach her eyes.

"I will go for the _miai_. But, I will reserve the last decision in whatever happens. That is my condition. I know you mean well for me ji-chan but please, at least allow me the freedom to choose my own fate."

Hashirama furrowed his eyebrows and then smiled.

"Of course, Sakura. An arrangement has been made for the two of you to meet this coming Friday, at 7pm. It'll be at RyuGin. Try to dress nicely but also, comfortable. I want you to be comfortable," Hashirama smiled, sending Sakura back to her room with a good night.

Sakura dragged her feet back to her room and sat on her futon. She lay down and tears rolled down her face. She didn't bother changing into her pyjamas and went to sleep.

* * *

Sakura had been dreading this day. It was finally Friday. She was now seated in her room, facing Ino and Hinata. She had invited them over, to break the news. She had managed to keep this secret in and she knew it was time to tell them the truth.

"Erm, guys. I need to tell you something," Sakura started, her eyes on her lap.

Ino and Hinata both looked up at her and Ino smirked.

"Wait, don't tell me… Are you going out with someone?"

Sakura coughed and shook her head.

"No, I am not. But I am meeting someone. My grandfather has arranged for a _miai_ today at 7pm."

Stunned, it took Hinata and Ino a few seconds before they could speak again. Hinata went first.

"A _miai_? Why?" A look of confusion on Hinata's face.

Sakura shrugged. She told them both the conversation she had with her ji-chan.

Ino's brows furrowed.

"So you're going? Does… Does Sasuke know?"

Sakura bit her lip and looked at her lap once again. That was answer enough for Ino and Hinata.

"But you told your grandfather that you'll have the last decision right? Do you think he'll honour that?" Ino asked.

Sakura didn't say anything. To be honest, she was hoping he would but she wasn't sure.

"Well, let us know how it goes okay?" Hinata said, kindly.

"Alright, let's think positive. Let's pick something for you to wear!" Ino grinned and went straight to Sakura's closet.

* * *

Sakura tugged on her dress. Ino had picked the only dress she had that went above her knees. Her dress was navy blue, in a baby doll cut with black buttons lining the middle. Her black socks went up to the middle of her thighs and she wore the gold bracelet her mother had given her. Her hair was tied in a milkmaid braid and she was wearing very light makeup. She was currently waiting for her ji-chan near the gates of the house. When she heard footsteps behind, she turned, smiling at her ji-chan. It was then that she saw him and she almost turned away.

"Sakura, you look beautiful. I'm sure the young man we are meeting will be smitten with you." Hashirama said, leading her to the car parked outside the house.

Sakura gave a tight smile and stole a glance at Sasuke. He was expressionless as usual but he was staring at her. She felt his onyx eyes boring into her own. She turned away, blushing.

Sasuke got into the driver's seat and Sakura and Hashirama got into the back. Sasuke pressed the keyless ignition and the BMW purred to life. Before he stepped on the accelerator, Hashirama stopped him. He had forgotten something in the house. Once he got out, Sasuke turned to Sakura immediately.

"Sakura-sama," Sasuke breathed.

Sakura felt like the air in her lungs had been knocked out. He sounded so…

Sakura looked at Sasuke, expectant. She wanted him to take her away this instant. She wanted him to tell her not to go and to be with him instead. Her heart started pounding like a jackhammer when he bit her lip and stared into her eyes. Please, she begged. Say something. Tell me you love me.

At the corner of her eyes, she saw Hashirama making his way slowly towards the car and her eyes widened.

Sasuke looked away and turned to the front. He caught her eye through the rear view mirror and smiled a sad smile.

"Good luck for the _miai_. I hope it goes well."

Sakura felt like she had been slapped.

* * *

When they arrived at RyuGin, the Maître D' informed them that the other party had already arrived. Stepping into the dark restaurant, they were led through rows of tables. Sakura felt her heart quicken and nausea suddenly threatened to engulf her. She instinctively went for Sasuke's hand. He turned, shocked but didn't let go. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and at that moment, both of them were relieved that Hashirama was walking in front.

When they arrived at the entrance of the private room, Sasuke squeezed Sakura's hand once more before letting go. She smiled at him, thankful and he returned her smile. When Hashirama suddenly turned around, both of them quickly put a space between themselves.

"Uchiha, you'll stand outside." Hashirama said.

Sasuke nodded and Hashirama opened the door to the room. The woman inside looked like she was in her 40s. Her hair was long, straight and brown. Her eyes were the same colour and they were kind. She looked stunning in her kimono. The man next to her had red, wavy hair and he also looked about the same age. He was slightly chubby and had quite a serious look. He wore a black suit with a pink work shirt beneath. The younger man who sat opposite the couple turned to face them and Sasuke blanched. He had hair like his father but his mother's dark brown eyes. When he caught Sasuke's eyes, his lips trembled, supressing a smirk. Sasuke's eyes widened in horror and he reached to grab Sakura's hand but stopped himself. He clenched his fist tightly as the door closed.

Hashirama took a seat on the left side of the table, gesturing for Sakura to sit next to the young man. Sakura took a seat gingerly and she felt all eyes on her.

Hashirama and the couple exchanged pleasantries and he turned to her.

"Sakura, I would like you to meet this incredible young man, Sasori."

* * *

A/N: Well, this is it. This chapter was supposed to take a slightly different route but I'm actually about this one. I don't think I'll post before the year ends so I wanted to wish everyone merry christmas and a happy new year! I'll see you guys real soon.


	10. Chapter 10: His Feelings

**Your Heart in My Hand**

* * *

 **A/N:** This is so late. I'm sorry! So, what happened was that the data from my hard drive got deleted and I have been grieving over my lost data. This chapter was halfway written as well! Sob! Here it is, rewritten but not in the way I originally wanted it to be. But anyway, we're in double digits! Yay!

 **Note:** I gave Sasori's the surname Akasuna for convenience sake. It literally means red sand.

 **A little warning:** This fic is an **AU** so characters will definitely be **OOC**.

Note: Flashbacks in italics.

Without further ado, enjoy the tenth chapter of Your Heart in My Hand.

Inspired by Fujiwara Kiyo's Wild Ones.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

* * *

 **Chapter 10: His Feelings**

* * *

Sakura did not like this at all. She was trying really hard to hold down the bile rising up her throat. She felt an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach and she hated it. She looked over her shoulder a little and stared at the door of the private room. She sighed softly in relief, as she knew that he was there. She knew that even though he could never comfort her the way she wanted him to, his presence soothed her.

"Sakura-san?"

Huh? Sakura snapped back to reality.

"Mrs Akasuna was asking you a question, Sakura," Hashirama said, eyeing her knowingly.

"Ah, I'm sorry. Could you repeat your question?" Sakura's cheeks reddened, embarrassed.

"I was just asking if you were enjoying school? Your grandfather mentioned that you have only recently started attending public school?"

"Ah, yes. I do like school. I've made some new friends and I'm enjoying myself so far," Sakura replied, smiling.

Mrs Akasuna smiled.

"That's great! I'm very happy to hear so. I hear that you're also in the Art Club?"

Sakura nodded.

"Yes I am. I really love art," Sakura said, blushing.

Sasori chuckled.

"She's really talented as well. Her art is beautiful," Sasori said, staring at Sakura.

Sakura's cheeks reddened even more and she was suddenly aware that Sasori had snaked his arm around the back of her chair. She sat slightly forward.

Mr Akasuna nodded, impressed.

"You must be a very impressive artist. Sasori rarely ever compliments anyone."

Sakura's face turned to mild shock and she turned to look at Sasori whose face was expressionless.

Mrs Akasuna giggled.

"Oh, this is so cute! Both of you are so good for each other!"

"Ka-san, please," Sasori mumbled, embarrassed.

"Oh look, my little Sasori is shy! This is perfect!" Mrs Akasuna pointed out, ignoring Sasori's stare.

Mr Akasuna shook his head.

"Please excuse my wife. She can be a little too excited at times," Mr Akasuna said.

Hashirama chuckled.

"I understand her excitement. I can see that these two kids are quite suitable for each other."

Sakura whipped her head to stare at her ji-chan. She couldn't believe him. She knew exactly what he was doing. She knew he wasn't trying to upset her on purpose. She knew he just wanted the best for her but she couldn't help but feel annoyed. She had a feeling that he had tried to do the same to her mother.

Sakura couldn't wait for this nightmare to end.

* * *

When they got back into the car, Hashirama spoke turned to Sakura.

"Thank you for going to the _miai_ , Sakura. It means a lot to me. I know it's not something you're considering now but think about it for the long run. I would love to know that you will be in a good man's capable hands once I'm gone," Hashirama said, touching Sakura's head.

Sakura smiled, though it did not reach her eyes. Her gaze reached the rear view mirror and she found his eyes staring back at hers. She almost gasped. His look said it all. Tonight. She clutched her heart in anticipation.

* * *

Sakura laid on her futon, anticipation in her bones. She glanced at the clock and it was 10 minutes past midnight. She could feel her heart thumping, threatening to burst out of her chest. When she heard that single knock on her door, she jumped off the futon immediately.

She was gently pushed back in the moment she opened the door and Sasuke quickly closed the door. When she saw him, she almost jumped into his arms.

"Hey," Sasuke said, softly, sitting down on the floor, opposite Sakura.

"Hey," Sakura echoed.

"So," Sasuke ran a hand through his hair. "How was the _miai_?"

Sakura stared at her lap.

"It was okay. I didn't like it. I didn't want it in the first place anyway."

Sasuke exhaled in relief.

"I'm glad."

Sakura winced.

"So, why did you come here?" She asked.

Sasuke averted her gaze.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Sakura said nothing. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to feel. A part of her was happy that he cared. A part of her was sick to the bones of him giving her false hope.

"Will you be seeing him again?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura closed her eyes.

"I think you should go," She said quietly.

Sasuke looked up in shock.

"Why? Did I say something wrong?"

Sakura laughed in exasperation.

"What did you say wrong? Please, not this again! Are you doing this on purpose? Because it's not funny."

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows.

"I'm not. Of course I'm not. Why would I… I care about you, Sakura-sama."

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I know. You care. You care about me as a bodyguard I get it. Now please, leave me alone!"

Sasuke frowned.

"I can't. Not when I know you're upset."

Sakura glared at him.

"Fine. I'll scream and you'll never…"

He pressed his lips on hers and she felt her breath hitch. Sakura gasped and fell back in shock.

"Don't scream, please," He whispered.

Sakura nodded, slowly. Sasuke ran his hand over his hair and sighed.

"Look, I… I'm not good with words. I don't know how to say it right so I'll just say it. I… I care for you. As a bodyguard yes but also because… I love you. I've loved you ever since I saw you. Please don't think that I don't care because I do. I love you," Sasuke said, his voice barely audible.

Sakura's eyes widened and she couldn't control the tears that came.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you say anything when I… I was so heartbroken…"

Sasuke stared into her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to lose you. Hashirama-sama will lose his shit if he ever found out and I would never get to see you again. I would rather be able to see you smile, laugh and maybe, be happy with someone else if it means I can still see you."

Sakura wiped her tear-streaked face and held her hand over her heart.

"I don't know what to say…"

"Then don't say anything," Sasuke said as he inched closer.

Their lips touched and suddenly a spark ignited. Sasuke gently pushed Sakura onto the futon and she only had a second to catch her breath before he captured her lips again. Sakura's whole body trembled. Not in fear but the happiness she was feeling. She couldn't stop. She didn't want to stop.

A moan escaped her lips and Sasuke growled, deepening the kiss. She grabbed his hair and gently pulled it, eliciting a groan from Sasuke.

When she felt Sasuke's tongue swirl around hers, Sakura took it greedily. She had suppressed her feelings for so long. Her hands moved down to Sasuke's waist and she tugged his yukata loose. Sasuke pulled back, abruptly, surprising Sakura. They both panted, out of breath.

"What? Why…" Sakura was hurt.

Realisation hit Sasuke and he shook his head.

"No! That's not it. Just… Not now. Not here."

Sakura averted her gaze, embarrssed.

"I thought you would have wanted me, too."

Sasuke lay next to her and propped himself up with his elbow.

"I want you. I've never wanted you more. Just please, not here, not now." He said.

Sakura nodded and smiled in relief.

They lay together for a while, hands intertwined and Sakura never felt happier.

"I think I should go now," Sasuke said, sitting up. He didn't let go of her hand.

Sakura pouted and Sasuke chuckled.

"You should sleep. You'll need your energy for tomorrow."

Sakura cocked her head and realisation hit her.

"Oh, right. Tomorrow's the open house for the dojo."

Sasuke smirked and gave her a long peck on the lips.

"No, I meant for this," He grinned cheekily and quickly left the room.

Sakura fell back onto her futon and she swore she could have melted a hole in the ground.

* * *

The walk to school couldn't be more awkward. She kept trying to keep a neutral expression but whenever she thought about what happened, she would blush and smile to herself. She didn't even notice when Suigetsu suddenly slid next to her.

"So, you've been smiling to yourself this whole time. Something happened? Sasuke was gone from our room for a pretty long time last night." Suigetsu smirked.

Sakura stopped walking and her cheeks immediately reddened.

"Wha... What do you mean?" Sakura stammered.

Suigetsu's eyes narrowed cheekily.

"You know exactly what I mean."

Sakura averted her eyes, not saying a word.

"Maybe I can pop into your room tonight and you can tell me," Suigetsu whispered into her ear.

Sakura jumped and Suigetsu chuckled. She smacked his bicep and he was shocked momentarily. He wasn't expecting her to be comfortable enough with him to do that. Recovering from his shock, he just grinned.

"I'm kidding, of course."

"What's the hold up?" Naruto called from a distance away.

Suigetsu laughed.

"Oh, Sakura-sama was just telling me how well her night went yesterday."

Sai and Neji glanced at each other and Naruto arched an eyebrow. Sasuke was glaring at Suigetsu.

"Were you doing something last night, Sakura-sama?" Naruto asked.

Suigetsu smirked.

"More like doing someon-"

Sakura slapped his mouth shut before he could continue, blushing furiously.

"It's nothing really," She said, unable to hide the happiness in her voice.

She looked up at the boys once more and caught Sasuke's eyes. She swore he was staring straight into her soul.

* * *

When Sasuke sat down in his seat, the boys surrounded him immediately.

"Where _were_ you last night?" Neji narrowed his eyes.

Ignoring him, Sasuke took out his textbook.

Grabbing his shoulders, Naruto forced Sasuke to look at him.

"What?" Sasuke hissed.

Flinching, Naruto continued nonetheless.

"So, everything's okay between you and Sakura-sama then?"

Closing his eyes, Sasuke nodded his head very slightly and his lips trembled from him suppressing his need to smile. Catching that, Sai grinned.

"Well, we're happy. Right, guys?"

* * *

When the bell for recess ended, Sakura immediately jolted up from her seat. She couldn't wait to see Sasuke again. When she stepped out the door, her eyes lit up at the sight of him. He was leaning beside the door and when he saw her, he mirrored her smile.

"You look happy," He commented.

"I am," She said, with a giggle.

"I figured it would be nice if we could eat in your classroom today, just us two," Sasuke said, looking away shyly.

Sakura's eyes lit up with understanding and she nodded, smiling.

Ignoring the stares of her classmates, Sasuke took the seat in front of Sakura and turned the chair around to face her.

"I hope this is okay," Placing the food on the table.

"It's fine. Looks good!" Sakura said.

"I'm glad," Sasuke smiled.

As they dug into their food, a question popped into Sakura's mind. She suddenly put her utensils down and stared intently at Sasuke.

Arching his eyebrow, Sasuke asked her what was wrong.

"I… You… Have you…" She didn't want to ask. She didn't have the courage to.

"Tell me," He insisted, setting aside his food to give her his full attention.

"It was my first time kissing anyone yesterday… You…"

Sasuke smirked. He knew what Sakura wanted to know.

"It was my first too," He admitted and Sakura exhaled in relief.

"Although," He continued. "Not exactly."

Sakura's eyes widened and her mouth gaped.

Sasuke laughed.

"Well, I've always imagined myself kissing you so I guess yesterday wasn't exactly my first time with you, was it?" He teased.

Sakura's cheeks reddened and she almost fell back in shock.

"Sasuke-kun!" She whined, hitting him.

A voice interrupted them and all laughter died.

"Sakura, there you are. I-"

Sasuke stared daggers at Sasori.

"You. Fuck off. Now."

Sakura touched Sasuke's hand and chided him softly. Sasori narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Sakura, could I speak to you privately please?" Sasori asked.

Sakura stood up but Sasuke only tightened his grip on her hand.

"Sasuke-kun, please."

Sasuke growled.

"No. Anything he wants to say, he can say it here. With me."

Sakura smiled apologetically at Sasori and he shrugged.

"Well, _Sasuke-kun_ ," Sasori baited. "I just wanted to ask Sakura if she wanted to go to a play with me this weekend. You don't have to come."

Sasuke stood up suddenly, scaring Sakura and she quickly placed herself between the two boys. She could sense the tension and she didn't like it.

"I'm sorry, senpai but I can't."

Sasori chuckled.

"Would your answer have anything to do with your _bodyguard_ here?"

Sakura blushed. To be honest, she didn't know what her relationship with Sasuke was at the moment. Sure, they'd already professed their love for each other but Sasuke had yet to ask her to be his officially. Sakura furrowed her eyes slightly, when reality hit her.

"It's none of your business, you piece of shit. Now fuck off," Sasuke snarled.

Sasori arched an eyebrow and smiled.

"Well, I was hoping you would say yes, Sakura. I'd hate to disappoint your grandfather. He was the one who suggested the idea to me. He said you might like this play. It centres around the relationship between Nigini no Mikoto and Konohana-Sakuya."

Sakura was speechless.

"I guess I could tell him I tried but that you prefer spending time with your _bodyguard_. I wonder what he would say about that."

Sasuke glared at Sasori.

"I know what you're doing."

Sasori feigned innocence.

"What am I doing? I just want the best for Sakura."

Sasuke stepped forward and Sakura pushed him back.

"Wait, Sasuke-kun," Placing her hand on his chest. Sighing, she turned to Sasori.

"What time's the play?" She asked, defeated.

Sasori's face lit up with happiness.

"8pm. I'll pick you at 7pm. Thank you, Sakura. I hope you can give us a chance."

Sakura said nothing and Sasori left.

Sasuke turned to Sakura, anger in his eyes.

"Why did you agree?"

Sakura inhaled deeply.

"I had to. He was about to tell ji-chan about the both of us. I… I don't want to lose you. I would rather spend 2 hours suffering then lose you forever," She whispered.

Sasuke's anger dissipated and he cupped her cheeks.

"I'm sorry. I just hate knowing that the bastard will definitely try something and I won't be there to protect you."

Sakura smiled weakly and she leaned into his hands. She was not looking forward to this. She had trusted her ji-chan to lay off but she knew he liked Sasori and Sakura couldn't blame him. Sasori was good on paper- he was smart, rich and had all the qualities of a man that her ji-chan wanted as her future husband. She pondered, whether or not her ji-chan knew that Sasori was in the Akatsuki. Sakura sighed and looked into Sasuke's eyes.

"I love you," She breathed.

Sasuke was taken aback for a moment and he could feel his cheeks burning.

"I love you," He whispered, taking her lips.

* * *

 **A/N:** Actually, I'm not sure if anyone reads these author notes lol. I've recently started a full-time job so I'm definitely going to take a bit longer with updates. Please don't give up on me. I'll see everyone in the next chapter!


End file.
